Take You There
by Yoha2405
Summary: There are things in life which we have no control over. Love is most definitely one of those things. Selena discovers this soon enough. Demena Demi/Selena ***RE-UPLOADED***
1. Prologue

**A/N: Why hello lovelies! It's been too long. I bring to you the re-edited version of Take You There. This is the same story just much better grammar and way less confusion. When I wrote this story I was still learning a lot about writing, I felt like the story was lacking many things, however, after working with this a little, I'd like to believe that I have improved enough to do this story justice now. **

**Characters remain the same with the exception of Harper, Justin and Zeke who are now Jennifer, David and Dan. I don't know why in the world I ever made them HJZ from the show to begin with, lol. **

**As for the ending of this story, I decided that I would play with it a little. So, the ending will remain the same as it was but, there will be a _(an added)_ sort of choose your own ending part to this story now. It's an alternate ending, Demena may not be endgame in the alternate ending, maybe it will be, sorry can't give it away but I can't guarantee anything either. **

**I really hope you guys enjoy this as much as you did the first time around and give me feedback please. I love reading what you guys have to think. There will be an update _daily _because the story is already done.**

**Enjoy. **

**PROLOGUE**

I walked into my hotel room in hopes of getting some sleep. Filming for Wizards occupied most of my time and I was really looking forward to a good night's rest. With holiday's coming up, everything was really hectic on set; everyone was doing their best to get scenes done as efficiently as possible, having in mind that our winter break was around the corner as soon as we were done. After a long day of shooting, I met with my mother and spent the rest of the day with her. It had been a while since we spent any time together, so we decided to go shopping and grab a bite. It wasn't until about nine thirty when I was finally settling down.

I tossed my purse towards the couch and made my way over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I leaned against the kitchen counter as I sipped on the ice water, rubbing my temple every once in a while to calm the upcoming headache I felt. I was startled by a sound coming from my bedroom. My hand immediately reached for the closest item by me which happened to be a banana. I rolled my eyes at myself, there was no way a banana would be able to defend me from a thief. I set the fruit down and just as I was about to grab something else as a weapon - I honestly believed I was seconds away from being kidnapped – I heard a faint voice.

I laughed softly as I recognized the voice as Jennifer's. I shared the hotel room with the girl; I should have assumed it was her to begin with. As I got closer to my bedroom I soon figured out that Jennifer wasn't alone. I could also hear Dan speaking with her.

"We can't let her see this! She'll be here any minute Jen." Dan said worriedly. This spiked my curiosity. I noticed the door was slightly open; I pressed my back against the wall and placed my ear close enough to the space in attempts to hear the conversation. I did my best to glance at what they were doing. Apparently Jennifer and Dan weren't alone; David was also with them, he was pacing. Something was wrong, I could tell that much, and I was beginning to worry.

"Well, she's bound to find out eventually." David said. "It's not like we can just remove something like this from the internet."

"I know, but there must be a way to sway her from seeing it, right?" Dan asked hopefully.

"Are you kidding me? I don't think so. Selena's way too smart." David remarked with a chuckle.

"I agree. Maybe we should just show her ourselves." Jennifer responded.

"Whoa! Hold on there Jen, I certainly don't want be the reason she see's it." I could hear Dan sigh dramatically in response to David.

"So, what's it going to be then?" Dan asks. I decided that moment would be a good one for me to ask them what was going on.

"I think you guys should tell me what's going on." I said with a smile. I crossed my arms defiantly and stepped in front of my friends. The room grew infinitely silent and I raised my eyebrows in anticipation as I looked from one of them to the other. David was the first to speak.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"C'mon, I've been outside of the bedroom for a while now. What are you hiding? Something I shouldn't see I believe?" I asked. Dan was glancing from side to side nervously.

"Well, well, well, will you look at the time? I better get going Long day tomorrow." Dan stood from my bed where he was sitting and tried to subtly close Jennifer's laptop but, unfortunately for him I caught the action. He was out of the room in a sprint. I narrowed my eyes at Jennifer and David before my eyes locked on the laptop. David noticed this and quickly reached for it but, I had beaten him to it.

"Shit." David groaned. He took one deep breath and shook his head. He stepped closer to me and placed his hands on my shoulders as he gave me that look he only gave when he was in 'big brother' mode. "I hope we overestimated the effect this will have on you. Don't let it get to you." He squeezed my shoulders and smiled warmly before he left the room.

"Okay Jennifer, what the hell is going on?" I asked as I took a seat on my bed with my back against the headboard. I placed the laptop on my legs. I wanted some answers before I opened it and looked at whatever was so important. Jennifer groaned and sat down next to me in bed.

"I knew they'd leave all the hard work to me." She grumbled while she adjusted her position.

"What hard work? I'm honestly kind of scared." I said with a grin. My friends were so silly sometimes. "You're making me think you've committed some sort of crime."

Jennifer smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry; we're just worried about how you're going to take… this." She said pointing towards her laptop.

"Well what is it?" I asked expectantly. She sighed and pursed her lips.

"Alright, why don't you just go ahead and see for yourself." She responded. I nodded and opened up the laptop. The anticipation and curiosity was so big as I waited for the screen to finally turn back on. Once it did turn on, my reaction was no reaction at all. Jennifer looked at me worriedly, waiting for me to say something or do something.

After a moment of silence I finally spoke. "Why did you think this would affect me so much?" I asked curiously.

Jennifer sighed. "Because Selena, it's Demi."

There in front of me were two pictures. Both were of Demi and a group of girls posing together. It would seem innocent enough, but Demi was standing in front of one girl in particular. Said girl had her arms wrapped around her in what could only be described as an intimate manner. Demi was licking her cheek in one of the pictures and in both pictures this anonymous girl was pulling Demi's shirt down enough to see her cleavage.

I understood immediately why my friends were so worried. Jennifer, David and Dan had become real close friends of mine over the years; Jennifer more so than the boys. She knew my history with Demi well. I had told her about the way we drifted apart after I made the decision to walk away from Demi's life and shut her out completely. It was a decision I made because of the way I felt for my friend at the moment.

There were feelings harboring inside of me that were so hard to deal with. Demi was my best friend. I was scared to lose her. I felt an undeniable attraction to her, connection far greater than that of just friends. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted her. That was the reason why I fled from her.

I pushed her away to the point of no return. She called me on a daily basis at first. Those calls soon became a weekly ordeal once she seemed to notice that I wasn't going to take any of her calls. Weekly calls became the occasional call every couple of months. Eventually there wasn't any kind of communication at all. It was in a sense what I wanted but, in the end it was the exact opposite.

I feared that voicing my feelings would scare her away from me, make her never want to speak to me again. Sadly enough for me, I had done a great job of making her resent me without ever having to say a word about the way I felt about her.

And now there are these pictures. Of course they thought I would have some sort of a mental breakdown because in all honesty I was on the verge of having one. It was the worst feeling. I felt a sense of betrayal on Demi's behalf. We were never anything more than friends and I wasn't in any kind of position to demand anything from Demi but, it still hurt to see what was in front of me.

For all I knew, Demi wasn't the least bit interested in girls. Sure, I wanted so badly to believe that she was but, there was Joe and talk of other boys so often that, ultimately I convinced myself that she was one hundred percent straight. Apparently I was oh so wrong.

I was hurt not only because of the sexual nature of the picture but also because I always believed that _if _Demi were to ever cross that line, she would choose me. I felt a web of things at the moment, envy, sadness, anger, _jealousy_.

I nodded and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, it's Demi." I replied. Leaving Jennifer concerned.

"Is that all?" She questioned. "You're not going to call her or do anything crazy?"

"I don't think so Jen." There was no way I was going to call her. I had no right to call her and randomly call her out on anything. Jennifer smiled and lay back in bed.

"What's that look on your face right?" She asked me. I smirked and shook my head slowly.

"What look?"

"That look. I know that look and it's never a good one." She said sitting up. "Oh come on Selena! You just said you weren't going to do anything crazy."

"You're right, I did just say that and I stand by it." She continued to look at me confused. "What I have in mind is far from crazy."

"Here we go…" Jennifer rolled her eyes and resumed her position.

"Yes, here we go again."


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in this story, that would be absurd. This is simply for entertainment. I am in no way associated with the people mentioned in this fictional__ piece of work. _

* * *

It was only a week since I had seen Demi's pictures. Shooting for Wizards was finally over and I was officially on winter vacation. Jennifer and I spent a lot of time talking over my new plans for the season. We were headed to Los Angeles.

I had done a lot of thinking that week. First thing that came to mind was the fact that Demi was in rehab. She'd been there for quite some time and there were some rumors about her leaving the facility soon. I felt guilty at the thought because I hadn't once called her. I'd reached for my phone on numerous occasions, just seconds away from calling her, but I never had the courage to actually do it.

_Demi must hate me; _That was my entire thought process for a while. Jennifer suggested that I give her a call regardless. She thought it was a good idea to at least see where I stood in the situation. She made a good point to be honest, however, I chose to do what I was doing at the moment before calling her which was sit in my car outside of where the rehabilitation center was. I was hoping to be there the moment she left. I wasn't looking to speak to her whenever that moment came up; I simply wanted to be aware of the right time to call her directly.

"Don't you think this is becoming kind of creepy Selena?" Jennifer asked. She was seated in the passenger seat of my car as we waited for any sign of Demi.

"How so?" I asked in return as I continued watching the building door from the driver's seat. We were parked behind a tree at a fair distance.

"Well we've been at this for three days now. Why don't you just call her?"

"Jen…" I said with a groan. "We've gone through this; I don't want to call and have to speak to someone other than her. I'm waiting till she's out. Okay?" I asked. It was more of a plea. She nodded with pursed lips.

"So, what exactly are you going to do once she's out?" I could hear the grin on her face. She'd been making little gay jokes ever since we started waiting outside of the building.

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. In reality I didn't know what I was going to do after the much awaited phone call I would make. I was mostly thinking about going with the flow of things until I got it right. "I don't know yet." I was beginning to get anxious. My fingers gripped the steering wheel. "I just hope she lets me in again." I said dejectedly.

"Hey..." Jennifer tried to get my attention. I smiled slightly and looked her way. "If you guys were as good friends as I think you were then, I'm positive you'll find your way back to each other eventually."

"You really think so?" I asked with insecurity. I was so glad Jennifer was being so supportive about the entire situation.

"I know so." She said poking me. I laughed softly and nodded.

We grew silent as we continued to wait. Jennifer pulled out some nail polish from her purse and began painting her nails. I was contemplating what it was exactly I was expecting from all of this. Yes, I wanted to be close to Demi again, but did I want more than just a friendship. This new acceptance towards my feelings for her had me questioning what my next move would be. It seemed as though Jennifer read my mind.

"Are you going to tell Demi how you feel?" I looked at her briefly as I thought about it for a while. "I mean, do you just want to go back to being friends or do you plan on telling her how you feel right off the bat?" It was a very good question.

"I don't know. Right now I guess I'm just looking to repair our friendship." I said with a shrug. "If I ever want to get to a place where we could be together romantically, I think I need to work on a foundation for that first." I replied. Jennifer smirked and chuckled.

"Ooh look at you Ms. Gomez; you're getting all philosophical on me." It was in that moment when Jennifer and I were laughing that the building door I had been staring at for so long opened.

I held my breath and braced myself on the steering wheel. The air around me didn't seem enough anyway. The anticipation was driving me mad. And then, there she was; accompanied by her younger sister Madison they held hands as they walked out. Behind them were Demi's mom and her older sister Dallas who were speaking with an older woman by the door.

I focused my attention on Demi. She looked content, happy and she was smiling. That smile, it wasn't anything like those fake smiles that could be seen on her face years ago or when she was with Joe. It was genuine and it made me smile too. She and Madison were laughing at something now. It was so amazing to see her again. It had been too long since I had seen her in the flesh again.

In that moment I felt like I could finally breathe again. She was okay.

"She looks amazing, doesn't she?" Jennifer said quietly as she looked with me. She would never admit it but she was always hoping to one day meet Demi. She loved her music so much, but things between Demi and I went downhill before I could introduce them.

"Yes, she does." We kept on looking at the scene in front of us. Dallas and her mother were done speaking to the woman by the door and joined the other two girls. They spoke for a while until they all hugged and waved goodbye to one another. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Where are they going? Why isn't her mother going with her?" Demi's mother and Madison both got into one car while Dallas and Demi were in another. What was more curious was that they didn't seem to be headed the same way. "Hmm." That was my response before turning on my car and pulling away from the tree.

"Where are _you _going?" Jennifer asked confused. I was driving at a decent enough distance from Demi and Dallas to not be recognized.

"I'm just making sure she's going to be fine." I said.

"What does that even mean?" She asked with the same confusion. "She's with her sister, she's fine."

"I know. I just think it's weird she's not going home with her mother immediately after leaving rehab. Don't you think so?" Jennifer shrugged but ended up nodded.

"I guess." She mumbled. "What if she notices us?"

"Jen, will you stop worrying?" I asked sharply. She scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Someone's got their panties in a twist."

"Look, I'm sorry okay? I'm just really nervous right now." I said apologetically.

"Sure. I can't wait till you finally fix things with Demi. You're getting kind of snippy." I laughed at her remark. Jennifer and I continued our banter for a good twenty minutes; that was how long it took for the girls to slow down and pull into a driveway.

"Shit!"

"Did you just curse?" Jennifer asked incredulously. I rolled my eyes and turned the corner quickly in hopes that they hadn't seen me. I chose to drive around the neighborhood once. I figured that would grant the girls enough time to settle in if that was in fact where they would be staying. "I thought we were going back to the hotel?"

"Not yet. I just want to pass by that house one more time."

"Yep; she's definitely a stalker." Jennifer whispered.

By the time we were on our way back to the hotel, I was lost in thought so things were quiet in the car with exception of the radio playing softly. We were close the hotel when Jennifer asked me a question.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?" I asked.

"How did you know that your feeling for Demi weren't just friendly?" She specified.

"Oh." I was taken aback by the question. It wasn't something Jennifer and I had ever spoken about surprisingly enough. "I think it was the moment when we kissed."

"Wait, so you've kissed her?" She asked surprised. I nodded with a cheeky grin as I recalled the memory.

"Yeah. We were about thirteen…" I continued to grin as I retold the story. "… She decided she wanted to play house. We'd never played anything like that before. I agreed of course. Who was I to deny her anything?"

"Aww." Jennifer said with a chortle.

"Anyway, I was the one to mention that we didn't have any boys to be our husband. It was so cliché looking back at it. It's like something you read in a whole bunch of stories and see in movies but, she said we didn't need boys since we had each other. Surely enough we got married; she pronounced us Selly and wife. And then we kissed." It was such a sweet moment; one that I'd never forgotten.

"That's so cute!" She said.

"It is isn't it?" I asked giggling. She responded with a nod.

"So here's the big question Selena; Are you _in love _with her?" It was such a good question. I didn't know how to reply. I could say I was in love with her, but after having such a broken relationship with Demi, for all I knew I was just desperate to repair things making me confuse regret for ruining our friendship with love. I highly doubted the first thought but it was still plausible.

"I'm still trying to figure that one out."

* * *

I was lying on my bed. My phone was in my hands which were shaking from nervousness. I managed to get Demi's phone number from Nick Jonas. He didn't question why I needed it and it didn't seem likely for him to give Demi a head's up about my upcoming phone call. Jennifer had given me a pep talk and helped me feel much surer about it all, but I was still a mess of emotions.

I pulled up the courage to finally dial regardless of the fact that I was on the verge of a panic attack. Each time the phone rang against my ear I'd break into a sweat. It was almost torture waiting for an answer. And if that wasn't torture enough, well she eventually answered and my heart plummeted to the bottom of my stomach with the weight of it all.

"_Hi, this is Demi_." I hesitated for a second only to frown immediately. "_I can't make it to the phone right now. Leave your name and number; I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible."_ It was her voicemail.

There was the briefest of pauses before an operator's voice began speaking, indicating to leave a message after the beep. I sighed and pursed my lips. I was hoping to speak to her directly. I took one final breath before the beep and began speaking.

"Hi Demi…" I stopped for a second. It was harder than I thought it would be. "It's me Selena. I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but I just wanted to say…" At that point I was holding back tears. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. I have the same number; please call me back when you get the chance."

It was short, but I could only hope it was enough to garner a response from her. Sadly enough it didn't. A week had gone by since then and I still hadn't received a response from her. She was avoiding me that much was for sure. Jennifer tried reassuring me that Demi must have been busy since she'd just left rehab; surely she had things to do, loose ends to tie. It made complete sense but by the time the second week with no response was nearing I was uneasy.

I was in Los Angeles as opposed to Texas with my mother for the holidays. My mother was very understanding when I'd told her I wanted to spend the holidays with Demi. I explained that I wanted to be there for her after having been absent for so long. She said she'd miss me because it would be our first winter apart but I was growing up and making decisions was part of that. I wondered whether I should have just gone to Texas with mom instead.

I evaded those thoughts soon enough. It was obvious that Demi wouldn't respond to such a week attempt at reconciliation. I needed to step up and do this in person. That was why I was standing in front of her door debating on how to _do this _exactly.

I shook my head and pulled my phone from my pocket quickly. I chose the second number on my speed dial and waited impatiently for an answer.

"Did you get shot?"

"What?" I asked Jennifer who was now on the other end of the phone.

"I just assumed." She said nonchalantly. I could tell she wanted to know what was happening but she masked it well.

"I can't do this." I said breathing rapidly. I started pacing in front of the door.

"You haven't even seen her yet!?" She asked loudly.

"Jennifer!" I whispered sharply.

"Sorry, right supportive. Of course you can do this Selena." She said in a softer tone.

"But I can't Jen." I whined.

"Selena first of all you need to calm down. With the way you're breathing, I'm pretty sure the whole neighborhood can hear you." She said. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but start bouncing a little bit.

"I know but I can't calm down. I'm about to see Demi after so long. I'm a wreck over here. I… Oh God no." I heard the lock on the door being played with. I looked every which way. I didn't know where to go. There wasn't a single place to hide. I arrived in a taxi so; it wasn't like I could just drive away.

"Hey what's going on?" Jennifer asked on the other end. Just as I was about to answer, the door to the house was opened. I ended the call instantly as I stood with my back towards the door. I could see the shadow from the girl at the door as I lowered my head. I turned around while putting my phone back in my pocket.

"Damn it." I whispered. "This is it." I slowly looked up.

"Selena?"


	3. Chapter 2

"Wow! It really is you." Dallas stood in front of me at the door. Her arms were crossed as she leaned against the doorway. She was smirking as she waited for a response. I swallowed thickly and nodded. Dallas could be intimidating when she wanted to be. She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you dweeb. I'll leave that up to my sister." She said with a smile.

I smiled in response and shrugged. "Hi." I was at a loss for words. I wasn't expecting Dallas of all people to greet me so warmly. She was usually intimidating and very protective of her sisters. "How are you?" I asked timidly.

She laughed softly and walked towards me slowly. "Come here twerp." In that moment she pulled me in for a hug. I was surprised to say the least but I welcomed the embrace.

"Same ol' Dallas, calling me names." I said softly. We pulled apart and she went back to smirking.

"Of course." She said with a shrug. We were quiet for a moment as we looked at each other. I pursed my lips while looking around to avoid looking directly at Dallas. When my eyes did land on her they locked on to hers and we both laughed. It was so silly how awkward things were between us. Demi was my best friend but Dallas was also a good friend of mine; someone who I was comfortable with. Thankfully the laughter helped ease up the unease.

"So, is Demi around?" I asked. Dallas chuckled and nodded. Before I could get another word in, however, I heard Demi calling for Dallas. Dallas ignored her sister's calls in true Dallas fashion until Demi finally stepped by the door irritated. Dallas stood in front of me so I doubted Demi had seen me yet, especially since the girl was ranting about her sister not doing the dishes as promised.

"Are you just going to stand there? And …" And then she saw me. "What?"

"What?" Dallas asked nonchalantly. "Why so serious?" Demi glared at her sister and crossed her arms defiantly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me. Dallas stepped away and walked past her sister all the while saying something about leaving us to ourselves to solve our marital problems. I pursed my lips to stop myself from laughing at her quip.

I walked closer to the door and stood face to face with Demi. That's when it really hit me. I was standing in front of Demi. _I was standing in front of Demi. _It was almost unbelievable. It was in that moment that I knew we'd been apart for entirely too long.

I wanted to take it all in. The way her brows furrowed as she looked back at me. I was mesmerized by her legs in the shorts she was wearing; the tank top she had simply added to my ogling. I breathed deeply, I was savoring the moment. It was as if I was breathing for the first time. I could tell Demi was confused at my lack of words.

"So?" Demi was waiting for an answer. I shook my head softly as I cleared my throat.

"Huh?" I asked. A car passed by and Demi grunted before holding onto my forearm and pulling me into the house with her.

"It's getting dark out there. I'd rather be inside." Demi explained while gesturing towards the door and where we were standing. "So?" She repeated her question.

"I don't really know where to begin." She continued to look at me expectantly. _Here goes, _I thought to myself. I braced myself for the worst.

"I'm stranded here; Los Angeles specifically. I was wondering if you might let me crash here for tonight." I said. She looked at me for several fat seconds until she laughed softly in amusement.

"Are you serious Selena? You're _stranded_? What is this all about?" She asked softly. She wasn't buying into my story. Subconsciously I knew she wouldn't, but it was worth a shot. I licked my lips nervously. "Is this your way of saying sorry?"

"I-I… I don't…" I stuttered helplessly. I took a breath to calm down. "Yes, it is. I'm sorry Demi. I just, I'm sorry for making up this excuse for coming here. I'm sorry for calling you once you were out of rehab instead of when you got there. I'm sorry for the way I dealt with things."

Demi didn't do much but nod. That was until we made eye contact for the first time. I hoped to God that she hadn't heard the faint gasp fall from my lips or the way my heart raced. She was looking at me from head to toe. Almost as if she was trying to memorize what she was seeing. I could see her struggling with what to say, so I stepped closer to her. I wanted so badly to hug her, but I was worried it might garner a negative response. My hands hovered over either side of her arms; my fingers itched to touch. "Can I hug you?" I asked in a whisper.

"I don't know if I should let you." She said in just as soft of a tone as me. We both attempted to keep things as calm as they'd been as of yet. Or maybe that wasn't what we were doing. Maybe the familiarity of one another was overwhelming to the point where we were both too scared to possibly break it by saying the wrong things.

"I just want to be here for you. I wasn't around when I should have been, but I'm here now." I said in attempts to reassure her as I internally scolded myself. I didn't wait for a response from her this time. How could I wait for one? How could I wait when I heard small sniffles from her? She stood there with her head down. I moved forward and held her in my arms. At first she stood still and unresponsive. After a moment, however, she wrapped her arms around my neck.

We both expelled a breath. It was so refreshing to be in that position again; being close to Demi again.

"I'm still so shocked to see you." She said sadly with a hint of disbelief.

"Really? I called you. I thought maybe you'd expect it." I said with a smile trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work as I expected it to. She pulled away from me and wiped at her eyes. I could tell she didn't want me to see her tears.

"C'mon let's go to my room. We can talk there."

As we walked up the stairs that let up to her bedroom, I observed the way the house was decorated. I figured this was Dallas' house. There were pictures placed on the wall of her and people who I assumed were her friends. I was tempted to ask Demi why she was at Dallas' place. They loved each other there was no doubt about it, but the two would get into one another's hair so much. I guessed their dynamic must have changed over the past couple of years.

First thing I noticed once we were upstairs was Dallas lying on her bed with headphones in her ears; she was staring up at the ceiling. She noticed me looking and sat up with a cheeky grin while giving me two thumbs up. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at her mockingly. She was such a goofball sometimes. I smiled and turned my attention back to Demi.

"What movie would you like to watch?" Demi asked.

"Movie?" I asked for clarity. "I thought we were going to talk."

"Yeah we are." She agreed. "For now though, I just want to watch a movie with you. I know it's random, but I need you to give me time to readjust to… you."

"That makes perfect sense." I replied with a small smile. "Wouldn't you rather pick what to watch?"

"No, whatever you pick will be fine" Demi jumped on bed. She got into a comfortable position with her back against the headboard and waited for me to choose from the DVD collection next to the TV. I could tell by the way she was biting her lip that she was just as nervous about the whole situation as I was.

I chose a scary movie mostly because it was the first thing I got my hands on. Once I started the movie I stood silently by her bed. I didn't want to cross any lines, so I stayed there until she sighed deeply and motioned for me to take a seat next to her. I was hesitant at first. But when I did join her I sat slowly and calculated just how much space between us would be deemed appropriate.

The movie played and neither of us spoke a word. Half an hour had past with the both of us in complete silence. I could tell from the corner of my eye – when I wasn't busy staring at Demi – how she was looking at me. At one point I looked over and she didn't bother to look away. She was obviously deep in thought. If I had to guess how long this went on I'd probably say about five minutes or so. When she came back from wherever she had momentarily gone, she blinked several times while focusing on me. I smiled when I noticed.

There was no doubt that I could still read Demi. She was fighting a smile. Her cheeks turned a bright red color and as soon as she stopped fighting it, she smiled beautifully. She smiled with her eyes.

"So?" I asked. The blanket beneath me had suddenly caught my attention. At least it would have seemed so since I couldn't stop playing with a long string attached to it.

"I wish I could hate you." Demi said softly. I stopped playing with the string but maintained my eyes on the blanket and nodded to show I was listening. "I never understood what I'd done wrong. You know? You were my best friend one day and the next you were dodging me like a bullet." I slowly looked up to find tears in her eyes. The sight was heartbreaking.

"I eventually adjusted to not having you around. I focused more on work. At work I met some people. I guess you could label them as 'friends'. Anyway, we started going out together; to the occasional party every now and then. Camp Rock was really stressing me out and Disney was milking me. It was constant work, just non stop business." Demi continued as she wiped away a tear. I reached for her hand. Thankfully she didn't push me away.

"Go on." I said gently. I squeezed her hand encouraging her to continue.

"Mom was with Madison all the time. They were busy with some of her projects. I understand why she had to be with her, Madison is the youngest. I was supposed to know how to take care of myself. But…" I could see her bottom lip quiver. "I didn't know Selena. I was alone around all these people that pretended to care. They never did."

I began rubbing slow circles on her back. I wanted her to know I was there for her.

"It was one of my 'friends' who introduced me to drugs. I was drunk and I didn't think I'd do it more than once but I started self medicating in a sense. I felt depressed and so alone." She choked. She began crying. I had no idea about any of the things she had just mentioned. I held her as I whispered what I hoped were soothing words.

By the time she was no longer crying the movie had been over for a while. We sat holding one another. "We can leave this conversation for another time. Take it slow if that's what you need." I said. Demi nodded and moved away back to her original position.

"Thank you." She said as she wiped her eyes.

"I should be the one thanking you Demi." I said with a smile. "I thought you would never give me the chance to be your friend again. I don't think I'll ever apologize enough. I'm so-…" I felt two fingers on my lips. She shook her head and shrugged. I took the hint. I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the time. Demi frowned. I didn't want to assume she was sad because I might be leaving soon, but it was a good theory.

"I wanted to ask you something; _for _something actually."

"I can't promise anything, but I'm all ears for now." She said hoarsely clearing her throat.

"Can I crash here for a while?" I asked with sad puppy dog eyes. She looked at me intently for a moment and laughed. Pushed me slightly and shook her head as she fought with her laughter. "What's so funny?" I asked smiling. Her laugh was like music to my ears.

"I'm sorry the way you asked was just precious." She remarked. I chuckled along with her laugher. Eventually after a while she calmed down and drifted off again. She was gone, possibly in la-la land. She was somewhere else but she held my gaze so strongly; I was tempted to believe a little part of her was inside of my head. I had missed those chocolate colored eyes so much.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I asked with a smirk. Demi blinked repeatedly and shook her head. She was back.

"Doing what?" She asked in return.

"You seem to drift away from me." I explained.

"I guess I'm a little star struck." I was not expecting that response. I was especially not expecting a blush to appear on her cheeks.

"It's just me." I said bumping our shoulders playfully.

"That's just it. It's you." She said softly. "Mostly I'm just trying to process this." She pointed between the both of us.

"What is _this_?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"I think this is us giving this friendship another go. You can stay the night." She said with a small smile; I literally squealed. I lunged myself towards her and tackled her into a hug. She giggled every time I squeezed her a little. Each time I'd whisper thank you in her ear which garnered giggles from the girl. Soon enough we fell into silence for the umpteenth time that night. Not that I was complaining.

"I think I got it all figured out." I whispered as I propped myself up with my hands by her head.

"Oh yeah?" She asked teasingly. I licked my lips and looked away to appear nonchalant. In reality I was going insane. I was lying on top of Demi with our faces merely inches apart. She didn't completely hate me and was willing to have me around again. If I weren't such a worry wart I would have kissed her then and there. Things were so good; completely beyond what I expected.

"Yeah. You're like totally in love with me." I joked slyly. It was so easy to fall back into our playfulness from years ago. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. She adjusted herself so she was leaning on her elbows. We were even closer than before. _Is this really happening? _I asked myself repeatedly as she pulled on my neck enough to place her mouth by my ear.

"Maybe I am." She whispered and then I panicked. My eyes widened and I visibly gulped.

"You are?" If anyone ever tells you that Demi isn't the biggest troll in the world, don't you dare believe it; quite frankly she is.

"That was way too easy!" She said in between laughs. I shook my head and fought against an inevitable grin. I rolled off to the side and laughed along with her. It was adorable. Seeing that side of Demi again was one the things I hoped for so dearly. It was moments like these that I wanted back; those times when nothing else mattered in the world but us and our ridiculous clowning around. Again I thought, _how refreshing._

Things settled down and Demi eventually stopped laughing. She rummaged through her clothes to find some shorts and a shirt for me to wear to bed. All the while I looked on in amusement at the girl's antics. It took her a while before she found something she thought was good enough for me to sleep in. She stood by the closet and faced me.

"I'm really glad you're here." She said biting her lip as she threw the clothes on the bed for me to take.

"Me too Demi." She smiled one last before she disappeared to the bathroom. "Me too."


	4. Chapter 3

Demi and I called it a night as soon as the girl returned from the bathroom. She had fallen asleep almost immediately. Four o'clock was when I eventually stopped thinking enough to rest. I had planned to wake up early enough to surprise Demi with breakfast, so I set an alarm for eight o'clock. I'd only have four hours sleep but it would have to do the trick.

That was why I was busy grumbling in the Lovato's kitchen while I figured out what exactly to make for breakfast. I found a box of pancake mix in the cupboard, some eggs in the fridge and I thought I'd use some of the fruit on the side. I hummed in approval and turned to start cooking. I was startled by a smirking figure.

"Oh my god!" I whispered placing a hand on my chest to calm my rapidly beating heart. Dallas chuckled in amusement. "Don't scare me like that." I said sharply.

"What are you up to?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. I looked around and shrugged.

"Breakfast." I said softly with a smile. She nodded with pursed lips and approached me slowly. I looked at her through narrowed eyes and wondered what she was up to. Once she was next to me, she reached for the pancake mix.

"That my job, Dweeb. Don't worry about it." She smiled and motioned for me to take a seat on one of the breakfast stools by the island. "I usually make breakfast and Demi takes care of lunch and dinner." She explained while mixing the pancakes in a large bowl.

"That's nice. Does that mean you guys are getting along better now?" I asked curiously. She nodded.

"I guess you could say that. We certainly don't fight as often as we used to." She responded. I sat and watched her get things done for a while before asking if she needed help. She reassured me that it wasn't necessary. "My mom asked me." She said.

"How did you know I was going to...?" Dallas interjected before I could finish my question.

"I could tell you're curious by the way you keep looking around. My mom asked me to look after Demi for a while. Lame considering the girl's nineteen. She's my sister though, I don't mind taking care of her."

"Does your mom think she'll relapse or something along those lines?"

"Pretty much. I don't think she will though; especially not now that you've magically come back." She said with a knowing smirk. I fought a smile and lowered my head.

"What do you mean?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Really? You and I both know you're here because you've finally got your head out of your ass enough to own up to your feelings for Demi." She observed. I laughed under my breath.

"You got that right." I quipped. It wasn't easy to hide things from Dallas.

"I'm pretty sure she's already forgiven you. If not she will soon; she has a real soft spot for you."

"I never meant to hurt her. I was just…"

"Worried? Nervous? Scared of crossing the line between friendship and something more because you didn't want to lose her?" She asked. Our eyes met briefly and I nodded with a smile.

"Do you really think she'll forgive me?" I asked hopefully. She flipped a pancake on a plate and step aside for a moment. She stood by the counter with her arms crossed and a serious look on her face.

"I do." She said. The smile that crept on my lips was soon replaced with wide eyes as she continued speaking. "That's why I refuse to let that happen again. If you're just gonna bail again then I suggest you do it now before it's too late."

"I'm not going to bail." I responded firmly. Dallas chuckled and nodded as she went back to making breakfast.

"Good. We kind of missed you around these parts." She drawled with a Texas accent and a wink, effectively easing up the situation.

Time passed quickly as Dallas and I continued talking. She explained how she'd gotten the house through a college program and she'd finally graduated with a Bachelor's in Fashion Design. She was currently unemployed but some modeling jobs had paid her well enough to go on several of months if not a year without a job. We talked until she was done with breakfast and after having some myself I fixed up everything for Demi. I placed her breakfast on a tray with a glass of milk on the side. I then headed back upstairs with the tray.

* * *

I walked into Demi's bedroom and noticed she wasn't in bed anymore. I glanced towards the bathroom door which was closed. I assumed Demi was in there, so I placed the tray on the desk that was against one of the bedroom walls. I waltzed my way to the bed that had yet be made and got to it. By the time I was done making the bed Demi was just getting out of the bathroom.

"Selena?" She asked startled. She looked at me as if she wasn't expecting to see me.

"Good morning to you too." I said. Demi walked over to her bed and smiled as she observed that it was already made. "You seem surprised."

"I am." She responded. Her eyes landed on the tray above her desk and looked at me questioningly. I smiled as I reached for it and placed it on the bed.

"I thought you'd like some breakfast in bed." She smiled in return and sat down.

"Aren't you going to have some?" She asked.

"Dallas made me some, I ate downstairs."

"This was sweet of you Selena. Thank you." The moment I felt her fingertips on the back of my hand I was dizzy from lack of breath. She squeezed my hand lightly and started eating. I sat by her side quietly until something caught my attention.

"You said you were surprised. Why?" I asked.

"Well, when I didn't see you in bed I thought you'd left." I lowered my head in embarrassment as I recalled a very similar moment years ago. "I wasn't expecting to see you again." She said with a shrug.

"I can see why you'd think that, but I promise I'm not going anywhere." I said firmly. I wanted to reassure her of the fact as much as possible. As it would seem that moment was the best to go ahead and ask her about what I had in mind for the holidays. "Hey Demi…"

"Wash op?" She asked attempting to swallow a big bite of pancakes. I giggled as she grabbed the glass of milk to help. She apologized sheepishly and reiterated her question. "What's up?"

"Do you have any plans for the holidays?" She looked at me through narrowed eyes and shook her heads. She took another bite of pancakes and I took that as my cue to continue. "I was thinking maybe I could stay with you guys here."

"What about your mom?" She asked after swallowing thickly.

"She's okay with it as long as you are. It's not like I need her permission or anything." Demi looked away several times. I could tell she was really thinking it through. "It'll be a nice way to catch up."

"I don't know; this is crazy Selena. We haven't spoken since we were sixteen and all of a sudden you're here and wanting to spend the holidays together."

"Please. Just let me stick around. If at any point you don't want me around anymore, I'll be gone. It'll only be a month or so." She bit her lip and avoided eye contact with me. I sighed and placed a hand under her chin to raise her head. When I finally got her to look me in the eye I continued softly. "If you just want me to leave right now then I will. If you genuinely can't stand to have me around then I'll make sure to leave you alone. The last thing I wanna do is make you uncomfortable."

She stared at me for a while with the same expression on her face. I was almost positive that she'd ask me to leave. I was wrong.

"Alright." She said.

"Alright?" I asked back enthusiastically.

"Alright." She replied with a smile. "I just have to make a phone call."

At that point I wasn't about to question who she'd call. All that mattered was that I was just granted more time with Demi. Things could only get better.


	5. Chapter 4

"Hey, Dallas?" I knocked on the older girl's bedroom door and waited for an answer. Dallas asked me to give her a moment so I did. She eventually opened the door and invited me inside her room.

"What's up?" She asked while applying some makeup in front of her mirror.

"I'm in need of a favor." I said as I observed how she slowly applied some eyeliner.

"I don't know dweeb, I'm kind of exhausted. Maybe we can hook up later." There was a smirk present on her face. I laughed with a roll of my eyes. "You know I'm just kidding. What's the favor?"

"Well I'm staying here with you guys for a while and I was wondering if you could lend me some clothes for today. I would ask Demi, but she's much shorter than I am. I plan on going to the mall and getting some clothes either today or tomorrow so you wouldn't have to worry about…"

"Whoa, slow down there champ." She said in amusement. I took a breath and smiled sheepishly. "It's fine with me. Grab anything you need." I nodded and she went back to her make up. I looked around and chose to go with some black jeans and a plain white tank top. Dallas was done with her makeup by the time I had found what I'd be wearing.

"Thanks Dal." I said. Before I could leave the room, however, Dallas called me over.

"I just painted my nails and I don't want to mess them up by tying these damn things. Would you mind?" She asked. She raised her hands to show me the pink lace fingerless gloves she was wearing. She wanted me to tie the black laces on them.

"Going somewhere?" I asked curiously. I held her hand carefully and turned it around to figure out just how the best way to tie it would be.

"Do I look like a night on the town?" She asked playfully. Dallas was always very fashion forward and made sure to look her best at all times. I looked up into her eyes and nodded. Her makeup, though very little, was done to perfection.

"You always look amazing." I said with a smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a crush on me." She joked with a grin. It was so easy to be around Dallas. I finished with the second glove and examined my work.

"How does that look?" I asked proudly. I could hear Demi call me from her bedroom. Dallas smirked and nodded towards the door. I smiled at the girl and exited to make my way to Demi.

* * *

After a quick shower and getting dressed I joined Demi in the living room. The girl was sitting with her back against the armrest of the couch and her legs sprawled out in front of her. She was concentrated on a notebook that was on her lap. She was wearing her reading glasses and completely focused on what she was doing. It was so cute the way her eyes would squint every once in a while.

"Hey superstar. What are you writing?" I asked. Demi looked up at me and shook her head.

"Not telling." She said coyly. My lips formed into a pout as I approached her on the couch. She repositioned herself so her knees were up and I had about half of the space.

"Why not?" I asked feigning sadness. "I wanna know" Demi shook her head again and smiled this time.

"It's just a notebook where I write lyrics and stuff; nothing major." She responded as she placed it aside. After a while of trying to convince the girl to let me read the notebook I finally gave up. We decided that we wouldn't go shopping because Demi had something to do. I noticed a change in her demeanor once she said she had something to do. It seemed as if she was worried about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned. "If it's too much trouble to have me here the…"

"No!" She said loudly. She then looked down sheepishly because of her little outburst and I couldn't hold back a grin. "No. It's no trouble at all. It's just…" She paused momentarily and took a breath. "I have to tell you something and I don't really know how."

"Hey, you know you can tell me anything." I said softly. She nodded and told me she had to show me something while she told me whatever it was that she needed to tell. She went upstairs for a minute and came back with her laptop. I looked at her in confusion; it was becoming all too familiar. I had a clue as to what exactly she was going to tell me. I was almost positive she was about to show me the scandalous picture of her and that girl. Demi typed in what I believed was her password and finally sat down next to me.

"Alright, so I don't know how you're going to take this." She handed me the laptop and I chuckled because I was right. She was showing me the picture. I tried to shrug it off and appear careless about it. Demi pursed her lips and waited for me to say something so I did.

"All I see are a bunch of goofballs." I said. I was trying my best not to show how much seeing the scene again was affecting me. Last thing I wanted to see was Demi licking some other chick's face off.

"You're right, but there's a little bit more to it than that." She said coyly.

"Yeah?" I responded questioningly.

I remember thinking the previous night that things could only get better? Well I was one hundred percent wrong about that statement; because out of nowhere apparently I saw a pair of arms wrapped around Demi's neck from behind. My eye may have twitched slightly at the sight and I still hadn't fully looked up to figure out who exactly it was.

"Hi baby." The voice was foreign to me. Demi responded with a meek 'hi' and that was when I looked at the girl that was now walking around the couch to stand in front of us. Demi stood to greet her with a kiss and my heart dropped to my stomach. The girl she was kissing was the girl from the picture; The one who I had so kindly given the nickname Ms. Lick My Face.

I nodded slowly in understanding; this was what Demi was going to tell me. I wished she'd told me instead of showed me just how together the two were.

"Selena this is Emily." I stood in an attempt to be polite and engage in conversation. I held back a grimace when they held hands.

"Pleasure to meet you Selena." Emily said with a glint in her eye. She looked as smug as a person could be. I don't blame her; anybody would be smug if they had Demi to call their own. There was something about this person that didn't quite settle with me. I was practically seething on the inside. I shouldn't have been so jealous or upset considering I was the one who walked in on their lives, but I couldn't contain myself.

"Wish I could say the same." Demi's eyes widened in shock. Emily smirked and licked her lips defiantly.

"Now that's not very nice of you." I felt a hand placed on my shoulder with purpose and I knew it was Dallas because of what she whispered in my ear. "Can I speak to you for a second?" I looked between the couple and Dallas and nodded with pursed lips.

Dallas led me to her room and closed the door behind us. I took a seat on her bed while she stood with crossed arms and a stern look on her face. I looked from side to side in attempts to not cry but it was too hard. I shouldn't have assumed that everything was going to come easily with Demi. In my mind I thought I was days away from being with Demi, as absurd at it may seem. It was silly to not think she was in a relationship and happy with somebody else. I heard a sigh from Dallas. She walked over to me and kneeled in front of me.

I felt soft hands wipe the tears off of my face. "Crying isn't going to get you anywhere." She said softly.

"I thought you'd be upset because of my lil outburst downstairs." I said between sniffles. She shook her head and sat down beside me. I felt her arms around me as she hugged me.

"Selena, even thought I don't think you handled that very well…" There was a pause and she started rubbing my back soothingly. "… I do know how much you care about her and how hard it must of been to see her with somebody else." She finished.

"I really do care about her." I responded. Dallas nodded and kissed my forehead before pulling away. She smiled and wiped a lone tear off of my cheek. "I just feel like there's no point in trying to be anything more than friends."

"You have got to be kidding me." She said incredulously. I shrugged in defeat. "Selena, you haven't been in contact for two years, then you appear one night and you guys are having a sleepover like nothing ever happened. Do you honestly think you don't have a chance?" She asked.

"I thought I did for a while and then _Emily_ walked into the picture." I rolled my eyes. "I mean, why is Demi even with her?" I asked petulantly. Dallas laughed and shook her head.

"I say don't rush things. Worry about being her friend for now." Dallas said while nudging me with her shoulder. "Then you can think about getting into her pants."

"You're never gonna change are you?" I asked while laughing.

"Nope." She mocked with a loud pop. "Ready to go back downstairs?" She asked standing up.

"Ready as I ever will be."

* * *

To say the rest of the day was simply torture would be an understatement. I had pictured Demi and I spending all our time together. Instead there I was witnessing more PDA than ever before. I didn't remember ever seeing Demi so touchy-feely with Joe. Then again, she never really liked him. Neither of the girls could keep their hands off of each other.

I sat on the couch with Dallas playing a card game while Demi and Emily giggled and kissed the night away. You would think they'd take their business elsewhere, but apparently they liked the audience.

"Hey, Gomez pay attention." Dallas said snapping her fingers at me.

"Sorry, it's kind of hard to concentrate when that chick is practically swallowing your sister's face." I said disgusted. Dallas laughed in amusement. Our game continued, but I remained distracted by the couple. I even tried eavesdropping a little bit, but I failed to actually hear anything they were saying. I probably should have just gone upstairs instead of hanging around like some kind of masochist.

Several minutes later, Emily stood up and hugged Demi. My prayers were answered when the girl announced that she would was leaving.

"See you tomorrow Dallas." She said with smile as she faced us. "It was a _pleasure_ meeting you." She directed towards me. I caught the hint of sarcasm and glared. I waited to hear the door shut and sighed.

"Thank God." I said. I hadn't noticed that Demi was seated on the floor in front of the couch.

"What are you thanking God for?" She asked.

"Nothing, she's just become very religious nowadays." Dallas interrupted. I silently thanked her for helping. I didn't particularly enjoy Demi's girlfriend's company, but I didn't want her to find out because of a snarky remark. Dallas stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna go take a nap; I bet you two still have a lot of catching up to do." And with that she left.

"Thank God" I said completely forgetting Demi had just taken a seat on the floor in front of the couch.

Demi took Dallas's place in front of me. She grabbed the cards placed in front of us one by one until she had them all in her hand. I watched as she began shuffling them.

"Look at me." She said gently.

"Why?" I asked reaching for the cards as an excuse to not look her in the eye. I was scared to look at her directly and begin crying my eyes out from sadness.

"Cause I want to see your eyes." She said as if it were obvious. I sighed and looked up slowly. She looked at me for a while before smiling. "Thanks."

"You're welcome?" I said shyly.

"I just wanted to make sure you don't hate me." She explained.

"Why would I hate you?" I asked.

"Because of Emily." She answered.

"No way. I could never hate you."

"I wasn't sure how you would react to me being with a girl." She said with a hint of concern in her voice. I chuckled and placed the cards behind me. I leaned forward slightly and held onto her hands. I started playing with her fingers and she expelled a breath that I knew she was holding. I remember years ago, whenever she was nervous I would play with her fingers and she said it was soothing; I stuck to it.

"I kind of always thought you were into girls." I whispered playfully. She giggled and licked her lips.

"How so?" She asked. I smirked and raised an eyebrow lightheartedly. I knew that would be enough to remind her about the time we shared a kiss. "Oh." She lowered her head but not without me noticing a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

"It's okay, I liked it." I said full of mirth. She laughed along with me and nodded. Thankfully the seriousness that we were in earlier had disappeared. It was a good thing because I wanted some down time with Demi after having to endure what I did with Emily around.

"You know, aside from leaving for no reason such a long time ago, you really are an amazing friend Selena." I chuckled. I knew she would bring that up every once in a while. Yes, we were on a new page, but it was only normal for Demi to have insecurities about me doing the same thing again. There was a lull in the conversation before Demi smirked and spoke up. "So, what about you? I hear you have yourself a girl of your own."

"What?" I asked with a grin.

"Yeah, word around the block is you're going out with Bieber." I cringed and shook my head furiously. The rumor was annoying to say the least.

"I see what you did there." I said with a smile. She bowed her head proudly. "No way, she's not my type." I joked along.

"So what is your type?" She asked while scooting closer to me. Our fingers were still intertwined. Not once did we let go. I could feel her start tracing my fingers one by one causing shivers to run through my spine. I suppressed a whimper and smiled instead.

"Well since you insist." Demi rolled her eyes playfully and I continued. "I may have a thing or two for drop dead gorgeous brunettes with a certain affinity towards music." She giggled as we looked into each other eyes in a comfortable silence. I scooted back on the couch with my back against the arm rest, much like she'd been earlier that day and opened my arms. It didn't take long for her to crawl over and sit between my legs with her back against my chest.

"I think I can get used to this." She whispered. I nodded and kissed her head softly. My arms wrapped around and I placed my hands on her stomach to pull her closer to me. Nothing mattered in that moment except us; not Emily, not past mistakes or worries. I wouldn't have had it any other way in that moment. With Demi in my arms and her breath on my neck as she snuggled into me, it felt very much like home.


	6. Chapter 5

"Demi, come on. Stop joking around!" I said loudly. I was inside of Demi's bathroom having just taken a shower; little did I know that she would be in a playful mood. She'd taken the time to move my towel and clothes out of the bathroom without me noticing. Apparently Demi was worried that Emily and I wouldn't get along because I may have said that I didn't like her very much. Making me beg for my clothes was Demi's way of getting me to concede and be nice to her girlfriend. "Seriously, it stopped being funny like ten minutes ago."

I could hear Demi giggling on the other side of the door. "I'll give you everything back." She said coyly. "As long as you promise to be nice to Emily today." I groaned loudly and leaned my forehead against the wooden door. Emily was coming over and Demi wanted us to get to know one another, hence the girls insistence for me to behave.

"Okay." I said distastefully.

"Okay what?" She asked obviously pleased with herself.

"Demetria, give me my clothes right now!" I said firmly. She continued giggling.

"You have to promise first." I rolled my eyes and sighed. There was no way for me to get out of it.

"I promise to be nice to _Emily_." I said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Good. Here you go." She opened the door slightly and passed me the towel first. I reached for it and noticed that she was blushing profusely. My brows furrowed in confusion.

"Are you going back to that staring thing again?" I asked evenly. She cleared her throat and shook her head. In that moment was when I caught the movement of her eyes. She was looking at the mirror which just so happened to be right behind me. It was my turn to blush as I covered myself and closed the door swiftly.

"Party pooper. Your clothes are on the bed. I'll be downstairs." I stepped out of the room and Demi who had just closed the bedroom door had one more thing to say. "Nice ass by the way." I was blushing for sure.

Since we weren't able to go to the mall, Dallas had lent me another outfit. I took my time picking it this time. I wanted to look my best. It was my way of ensuring Demi's eyes would be on me and not on Emily. To be honest I was still trying to understand what it was that Demi saw in the girl. All I saw was someone very lackluster and boring. There wasn't anything special about her, but that might just be my jealously taking over.

It took a while for me to apply a small amount of makeup and assure that I looked exactly the way I wanted to. While brushing my hair I heard a knock at the door and stood up to open it. Once I did, I was met with a smirking Dallas.

"Dallas. What are you up to now?" I asked with a smile. The girl had a mischievous look on her face. She looked over her shoulder for a second and then pushed me further into the room. She then went back to the door and looked around for another minute before closing it.

"I can't stand her!" She whispered harshly as she approached me.

"Look, I know Demi tends to hog the shampoo but that's no reason to; Ow!" I jumped with a grin when I felt Dallas pinch my arm. She glared playfully at me.

"I'm talking about that thing Demi calls her girlfriend." She said pointing towards the door.

"Is she outside?" I asked teasingly. The glaring increased. I laughed at Dallas' behavior and raised an eyebrow as I waited for her to explain.

"She's downstairs with Demi." She said.

"Well calm down. What happened?" I asked with crossed arms. Dallas scoffed and looked at me incredulously.

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened; she just barged into the kitchen and _demanded _that I make her a sandwich!" I flinched slightly at her tone. She was obviously upset. "Like who talks like that? Oh, I know! Middle aged white men to their wives, that's who!"

"Stop pulling up false stereotypes first of all. That's not nice." She scoffed again and rolled her eyes. "Second of all, I think you should calm down. I bet she's too dumb to understand that what she did was wrong." I said reasoning with her.

"Alright, I'll calm down." She said with a small smile. "We should probably do something to get her out of the picture though." I laughed and Dallas smirked at my reaction.

"That's been my plan since I met her." I responded.

"Any ideas how you're gonna do that? I mean she's downstairs right now and things seem to be going great between her and Demi."

"Best idea I have right now is getting through tonight and behaving because I promised Demi I would." Dallas shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh well, if you change your mind and decide to take action count me in." I laughed and nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind loony."

* * *

Dallas and I hadn't gone downstairs immediately. We stayed in the bedroom as long as possible to avoid dealing with Emily. We were on Demi's bed facing each other seated Indian style. I was showing Dallas how to play Pat-a-cake which she thought was lame, but she agreed to play regardless. We weren't singing along as we played. We simply talked about things like Dallas' college experience and how things were with Wizards for me.

After a while Demi had walked into the bedroom. There was an adorable look on her face. It seemed as though she was confused about something as she looked between Dallas and I.

"We've been waiting for you guys to come downstairs for a while now." She said directed at me. I smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. Dallas and I…"

"We kind of lost track of time." Dallas interrupted. Demi hummed in acknowledgement as she looked at what I assumed was Dallas' hand that was placed on my knee. I didn't pay much mind to it as I smiled up at Demi once I caught her eye.

"What were you doing up here that took so long?" She asked sharply, this time the question was directed towards Dallas. She shrugged it off with a roll of her eyes.

"Not important. Come on dweeb, let's go." Dallas stood from the bed and held my hand while she pulled me up to follow her. I imagined that Demi would be upset because of all the time we left her and Emily downstairs, but I didn't think she'd be as upset as she was.

Emily was sitting in the living room on the large couch. She was engrossed in her phone. When Demi reached us, she sat next to Emily. Dallas sat on the recliner that was to the left of the couch where Demi and Emily were. I followed suit and sat next to her. The recliner was wide enough for me to sit sideways on it. My legs were draped over Dallas' and my arm went around her shoulder in order for me to be in a comfortable position.

There was an awkward silence in the room. Demi would glance my way every once in a while with the same confusion on her face as earlier when she'd gone to find Dallas and I. Demi was the one to break the uncomfortable silence.

"So dinner." Demi said catching our attention. "I was thinking pizza, what do you guys think?" She asked. Emily was the first to agree and nod.

I was thinking about what toppings I would want before I had even responded to Demi's question. Dallas poked my stomach lightly and I snapped out of my pepperoni induced coma.

"You okay with pizza twerp?" Dallas asked. I simply nodded in agreement.

"Were you guys always this close?" Emily asked me pointedly with a wicked smile on her face. _What the hell is this girl up to?_ Was my train of thought. Dallas and I shared a look, but before either of us could respond Demi took the opportunity.

"No, they weren't" Demi said with a raised eyebrow.

"Keyword: Weren't." Dallas responded in a cocky tone. Both girls glared at each other, neither backing down. Emily rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I guess I'll go order the pizza." She said.

"I'll go with you." I said. Demi and Dallas were still going at it. I decided then would be a good chance to have a conversation with Emily sans interruptions.

When I walked into the kitchen, Emily had already dialed the pizza place and was ordering. Once she was done speaking she hung up and walked around the island to face me. She didn't waste time and spoke.

"I'm glad we can get along. You're really important to Demi and I know she really wants us to be on good terms with each other." She said falsely. I could tell by the look on her face that her goal was to get an immediate rise out of me. I wasn't about to go along with her games.

"You can drop the act. She's not hearing you." I said through narrowed eyes. This girl was a snake and I was positive she'd bring out her fangs once given the chance. She chuckled coldly with crossed arms.

"Who am I kidding? You're right, she's not hearing" She said stepping slightly closer to me. "Guess that means I should tell you now that I want nothing to do with you. I sure as hell don't want Demi around you." She said with venom in her words.

"What are you so scared of _Emily_?" I asked tauntingly. She sneered and took a slow breath.

"Just back off, okay?" She said harshly.

"Well, I hate to break it to ya', but I'm back in Demi's life for good. So, you better get used to it." I responded serenely. I believed there was no need to upset the girl anymore than she already was. The point of the conversation for me was to let her know that I wasn't going to leave simply because she didn't like me.

She stepped closer again. "Should I be intimidated or something? Cause I'm not." She remarked. I chuckled low in my throat and finally stepped closer to her as well.

"You should be." I whispered close to her ear. I felt her tense up and inhale slowly. I didn't wait for her to come around. I walked back to the living room and got back into my seat with Dallas.

* * *

The rest of the night was pretty dull. The pizza arrived and we all had several pieces while chatting about nothing important. Emily and Demi would share the occasional peck or two, but thankfully nothing over the top. Every once in a while I would catch Demi looking my way and I'd smile at her in return. Emily caught on to it several times, but simply took to rolling her eyes each time it happened. At some point, I'd sat on the floor between Dallas' legs since my back was beginning to hurt.

"So, Selena I heard some steamy rumors about you and this kid who looks like a girl. What's his name?" Emily commented patronizingly. I shook my head with a scoff. Demi glanced my way and a pout formed on her lips. I knew that was her way of assuring I kept my promise.

"I can assure you those 'rumors' aren't true." I responded. If I could end the night, I would have done so long ago. I was trying my best to be patient and nice, but Emily was getting on my last nerve. Regardless of my apprehension, I knew that no matter what the outcome between Demi and I, I'd have to be respectful of her relationship. It was becoming increasingly harder to maintain that mindset, however, because Emily was pushing my buttons.

"Are you sure? I remember seeing a picture of you guys all over each other." She said while wiggling her eyebrows annoyingly. "You even said that you have crush on him." She put emphasis on the 'u' in order to mock me.

"I don't actually and I don't think that's any of your business anyway." I said firmly.

"I get it you just don't want people to know since he's jailbait." She said with a snicker.

"Do you make it a habit of being so annoying?" I asked. I knew I shouldn't have let something as trivial as a rumor get to me, but it was hard to not react. Dallas chuckled and squeezed my shoulder with glee.

"Only because you've decided to be a prude. Ease up a little, shit." She said. Demi nudged the girl with her elbow, effectively making her quiet down.

"Alright that's enough. Cut it out." Demi said pleadingly.

"She started it." I mumbled like a petulant child.

"You were stupid enough to go along with it." Emily mumbled. Dallas held my shoulders and kept me in place. She wasn't about to let me do anything that I might regret. Demi looked extremely displeased with everything that had just happened.

"Emily can I talk to you about something?" Demi asked. Emily scoff in disbelief and stood from her seat. She followed Demi to the hallway by the living room which led to the front door of the house.

Dallas rubbed my shoulder softly as she leaned down close to my ear and whispered. "Let's go take a peek." She was pointing towards the wall that covered the hallway. I chuckled and nodded mischievously along with the girl. We crept over to said wall and pressed our backs against it while we listened in on the conversation.

"Are you seriously going to side with her?" Emily asked; she was seething.

"Emily, I'm not siding with anybody. I just feel like you're not making much of an effort to get along with her." Demi said with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Of course I am! You're just too busy staring at her to notice!" Demi scoffed and Emily groaned when Demi responded.

"I was not staring." Demi's voice was lower now.

"Yes you were! You were practically undressing her with your eyes Demi!" She whispered in a sharp tone.

"Alright. I just need to you know that Selena is and always will by my best friend. If you can't find a way to get along with her then I…" Demi paused and took a deep breath. Dallas pushed me forward slightly so I could see what was happening. She leaned over me and peeped as well.

Emily stepped closer to Demi and held her face in her in her hands. Demi sighed and looked at her in anticipation.

"I'm sorry Deedee. I let my jokes get out of hand, but I promise to be nice next time." She said hopefully. I cringed internally at the apparent nickname the girl had for Demi and then I took in what she said only to roll my eyes in disbelief. Emily knew how to play a good game.

"Okay, but please try. Selena means a lot to me." Emily nodded and they hugged briefly. Dallas and I were still standing by the wall peeking when we noticed that Demi and Emily were head back towards the living room. I panicked and as you would guess, so did Dallas. We tripped over our own feet and fell to the ground. Dallas was beneath me and I was sprawled out on top of her midsection. Demi and Emily walked in with confused expressions on their face.

"You know Selena, if you wanted to get dirty with it, you could just sneak into my room later on." Dallas said with a snicker. I groaned and propped myself up on my hands.

"Thanks for the invite, I'll consider it." I replied jokingly. The little scene was enough to derail the couple from thinking we were up to. I looked up at Demi while maintaining my position. "Oh hey guys, what's up?" I said feigning ignorance to the fact that they'd been standing there for a while now.

"I don't think I wanna know what's going on here." Demi said. She stretched out a hand for me to take and I accepted it as she helped me get to my feet. Dallas then stood up on her own and proceeded to fix her hair.

"Why not? Too much for you to handle lil sis?" She asked with a smirk. Dallas playfully pushed her sister which caused Demi to hold onto my hand tighter. I hadn't even noticed we were still holding hands. I felt so normal and familiar that I hadn't thought about it. I took that as an opportunity to make the best of it and intertwine our fingers. When Demi didn't pull away, I knew she was okay with it. Emily on the other hand stared at our joined hands steadily almost as if willing us to stop. Demi seemed in a playful mood as well and continued with the same line of banter as Dallas.

"I can handle a lot more than Selena that's for sure." She said teasingly. I acted offended and placed my free hand on my chest.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, so you don't remember that time you bet you'd be able to eat three jars of pickles back to back, but then we had to rush you to the emergency room?" I groaned and covered my face with my forearm as Demi and Dallas laughed. Emily stood there with pursed lips.

"God that was so embarrassing." I said sheepishly.

"That was embarrassing? Miss Demi here was so obsessed with chocolate after seeing your episode of wizards with the chocolate fountain. She'd talk about it in her sleep." Dallas said with a smirk on her face, followed by that devious smile she only had when she was planning something. Demi covered her face as she giggled.

"It's not my fault she made it look so delicious." Demi said timidly. I felt those tell tale signs of butterflies in my stomach. I continued to smile at the girl and turned to face her a little bit more.

"Delicious like those waffles you tried making at my place, but instead ended up burning the stove?" I continued lightheartedly. Demi and I made eye contact and maintained it. In that moment, it seemed like it was only us in the room.

"I wanted to repay you for all the times you made me breakfast in bed." She responded gently.

"You did every time with a smile." I said while rubbing my thumb lightly on the back of her hand. Emily cleared her throat and Demi blinked several times while letting go of my hand.

"I think I'm going to call it a night." Emily said dejectedly. I will admit that I felt bad for the girl momentarily, but the moment I saw Demi kiss her goodbye, all remorse had left the building. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the couch where Dallas had slipped to without being noticed. I sat next to her with a sigh.

"Dude, you are so going to get some." Dallas whispered with a thumbs up.

"No, I'm not. Stop being silly." I said with a smile while holding her hand and putting her thumb down.

"You know, Emily was right when she said Demi was staring at you." Dallas said.

"Yeah, well I didn't notice." I said nonchalantly. I'd been looking at her probably just as much as she'd been looking at me.

"Makes sense." Dallas said with a smirk.

"Will you ever stop smirking?" I said with a smile. Dallas was such a clown. "And what makes sense?" I asked.

"It makes sense that you didn't notice because you were probably too busy imagining being between her legs an…"

"Alright, that's enough out of you, you sex machine." I interrupted with a laugh. Dallas shrugged and grinned along with me. Demi had just walked in.

"Who's a sex machine?" Demi asked curiously. I felt the couch dip next to me as she sat between Dallas and I. Dallas looked as if she was going to respond so I beat her to it.

"Nobody. Dallas here is just a pervert." I responded quickly.

"Oh well, suit yourselves. I'm out." Dallas stood up and stretched as she walked away. "Don't have too much sex. It'll leave you sore." She announced while she made her way up the steps.

"You guys are really getting along, huh?" Demi said as she faced me. I could hear a bit of jealously in her voice. I assumed she thought was worried that I preferred spending time with Dallas as opposed to her.

"Yeah, she's too much." I said closing my eyes. I could feel a headache take over me. I leaned my head back and rested it on the couch. Soon enough I could feel her hands on either side of my face. She rubbed my temple in light circles with her thumbs. It was very soothing. I hummed in approval.

"Better?" She whispered questioningly. I nodded slowly.

"How'd you know?" I asked making reference to my headache. I opened my eyes which had closed once she held onto my face. I saw her eyes focused on me. She didn't respond to my question, but her eyes told me that she just knew. I smiled at her and closed my eyes again. Time passed slowly and Demi eventually stopped her motions.

"Huh?" I mumbled groggily.

"Why don't go to bed while I get you something for that headache?" She said with a warm smile. I blinked several times and nodded. Demi helped me stand and immediately pulled me into a hug. She then pulled away and placed a short but sweet kiss to my cheek. It wasn't anything major, but it was certainly enough to take my breath away. I sighed happily and grinned as I walked towards the bedroom.

It had been a long and almost torturous night, having to socialize with Emily and deal with my feelings for Demi and not disrespect her relationship. As I plopped down on the bed and sunk into the soft pillows I smiled wide. The day had just opened my eyes to the fact that there would be some challenges ahead before I even remotely had the chance to be anything more than friends with Demi. But, as things slowly but surely fell into place, I grew confident that we'd get there when the time was right.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Warning to all, this chapter deals lightly with the subject of self-harm. I wasn't able to find my beta'd version of this chapter and that's why I hadn't updated, but I decided that I'd just upload this as is and have my beta fix it once she gets the chance. Thank you for reading. Enjoy. **

Demi's POV

The definition of beauty, that's what she is. I wish that I'd be referencing my girlfriend, but I'm not. It's Selena who's completely and utterly breathtaking; the one person who can make or break everything for me in a second. We were at the mall. I was seated outside of the changing room of a store Selena had taken an interest in. She'd asked me to go inside with her and help her choose what to keep from her choices of outfits, but I didn't want to tempt myself that way; just the thought of standing next to her while she stood in just her underwear was enough to drive me insane.

I sat there in silence, lost in my thoughts and biting my lips anxiously; it was a bad habit of mine.

"_Selena?" I mumbled softly as I woke up. I was used to waking up with her arms around me whenever we'd have a sleepover or she'd have breakfast ready for me by the time I was awake. It was odd, she was nowhere in plain sight. "Selly?" I called again. I took a deep breath and walked towards the bathroom to brush my teeth, thinking that she'd pop up once I was done with that. But, she didn't. I walked to Madison's room in hopes of finding her there; I found Madison and Dallas sitting in front of the television playing videogames together. I groaned and started biting my lips nervously; this was unlike Selena. I thought I might have been overreacting, but I had a bad feeling about it. _

"_What crawled up your butt?" Dallas asked with her eyes on the television. I rolled my eyes and sighed. _

"_Have you seen Selena?" I asked in turn. Dallas shrugged and continued playing. I groaned and stomped my foot impatiently. "Calm down will you? She left a while ago, said something about going somewhere with her mom."_

_I sighed deeply as I walked to my bedroom. There was only one other time when Selena had left without notice and that time she'd left a note on bed for me to read. I decided to call her and ask if everything was alright. I sat on bed with my phone in hand. It was almost noon so I was almost positive that if Selena were home she wouldn't be sleeping. I quickly dialed her number and waited for answer as it rang. After the third attempt, however, I noticed a pattern. The phone would only ring twice before sending me to voicemail and that was how I knew that she was rejecting my phone calls. _

_I waited an hour or so until I tried to contact her again. I was worried that something might have happened to her. I decided that texting her would be a good idea. _

_Why did you leave? Is everything okay? – Dem._

_I waited impatiently for a response. I didn't think it would take long but, it wasn't until another fifteen minutes passed that Selena finally texted me back. _

_Everything's fine – Sel._

_So? – Dem._

_So everything is fine. – Sel._

_You're acting strange. If something's wrong you know you can tell me. – Dem._

_I just think we shouldn't see each other as much as we do anymore. – Sel._

_I reread the text several times just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating; I even pinched myself twice to make sure that it wasn't some kind of a nightmare. Why would Selena not want to be around me anymore? Was it something that I'd done? What could have possibly been so bad to make her feel that way? _

_I don't get it. Everything was great yesterday. Did I do something wrong? – Dem. _

_I'm sorry if I did. How can I make it up to you? – Dem._

_You didn't do anything Demi. Let's just leave it at that. – Sel._

_Selena, please just tell me what's going on. – Dem. _

_It's for the best. – Sel._

_My lips were raw from biting them so much. My nerves were on edge. I didn't understand what was happening and why it was happening. I needed more than a simple 'it's for the best' from the person who I assumed was my best friend and possibly even more. _

_Are you saying we can't be friends anymore? – Dem. _

_It was silly of me to ask. It was quite obvious where Selena was going with the conversation, even if I didn't know why. _

_Yes. – Sel. _

_I groaned loudly at her response. 'This can't be happening' I thought with frustration. _

_You can't just throw away this friendship in the blink of an eye Selena. – Dem. _

_I just did. Sorry. – Sel._

"Hey, earth to Demi." Selena said softly while squeezing my hand. She looked concerned as she waited for me to respond. "You okay? You kind of spaced out for a moment."

"Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts again." I reassured with a smile. She smiled in return and squeezed my hand again. "Did you find anything that you like?" I questioned. She nodded and pulled me with her towards the changing room where she'd left the clothes she decided to buy.

Once we were done in that particular store we walked to the one next to it. Selena mentioned seeing something that had caught her attention. We walked hand in hand the entire time. I would glance down at our joined hands from time to time. It was hard being around Selena again so suddenly, but it was even harder acting as if her proximity wasn't affecting me. I for one wasn't about to tell the girl not to touch me or be affectionate, it was just hard to not feel completely enchanted by her. I help back a sigh full of guilt; I should have been feeling that way for my girlfriend Emily, not Selena. It wasn't as if I wasn't trying to be the best girlfriend I could be to the girl. I just knew that no matter what efforts I put into our relationship that I'd never feel for her the way I feel about Selena. I knew from the moment she asked me to be her girlfriend.

_Life is short; that was my motto. That was my excuse to do outrageous things. It was what I told myself whenever I did something that I knew I'd eventually regret. _

_I was in my 'friend's' house. We were all in the entertainment room with the music blasting throughout her apartment. It had been months since Selena and I stopped speaking to each other. I was still upset about the situation; it still hurt more than anything. I rubbed my forearm self-consciously. Nobody in the room would ever call me out on it, but there they were; scars that taunted me. My 'friends' didn't care if I did such a thing, all they cared about was partying and living the so acclaimed 'vida loca'. _

_I thought that hurting myself would make up for whatever I'd done so wrong to Selena. It wasn't an excuse; it was simply the reason why I'd done it. Selena wasn't the only person to leave, my mother had left with Madison for Desperate Housewives filming and Dallas wasn't around because of college. My family left with the promise that I'd be safe with my managers. Why did that seem logical to my mother? I'll never know. The fact was I felt alone, I believed I was the reason they'd all gone away, even if that wasn't the case. _

_I groaned softly when I felt myself being squeezed in between four other people on the couch where I was seated. Emily was seated to my right with a huge smile on her face as she looked at me. She didn't speak for several minutes until the song that was blasting in the background changed to something she liked. _

"_Let's dance Deedee." She said while pulling me up with her. The other girls followed with loud screeches and giggles; they were all either too high or drunk to know that they were acting crazy. I had been drinking, but I still hadn't gotten to the point of no return like them. _

_We all started dancing with the exception of two guys who had been with us for hours. They were one of the girl's cousins who tagged along for the night. Emily and I danced together, never changing dance partners. Eventually things began to get heated. Emily was holding me from behind. I could feel her body pressed up against mine. I closed my eyes and I swear in that moment all I felt was Selena's body. I felt her breath against my ear and her whispered words of encouragement to move a certain way or the other. I knew I was dancing with Emily, but my imagination drifted away. "When are you going to say yes?" My eyes opened with disappointment. Emily's voice pulled me away from my thoughts of Selena. _

"_Yes to what?" I asked. I heard Emily chuckle and pull me closer to her; one of her hands held my waist as the other crept up to pull my shirt down by the cleavage to expose my chest. I was tempted to yell at the girl, but as my eyes closed again, it was Selena all over again. I could feel the smile radiating from the girl behind me as she continued to grind against me to the beat of the music. _

"_Will you be my girlfriend?" Selena whispered with a nibble to my ear. I felt her lips trace my neck slowly yet with purpose. I moaned softly and I felt her smile again. "Well?" Except it wasn't Selena; it was Emily. My eyes opened after I saw a flash behind my eyes. One of the boys in the room was taking pictures. I turned my head to see an expectant Emily holding me. I licked my lips and nodded slowly while grabbing a bottle of Vodka from one of my friends. I drank as much as I could and whispered a yes to Emily. I was none the wiser of the other pictures being taken of Emily and I, all I cared about in that moment was forgetting. _

"You're really starting to scare me." Selena's voice knocked me out of my thoughts again. She held my hand tightly with that same concerned look on her face.

"I'm sorry." I said bashfully. "I think I'm just tired. Do you think maybe we can go home?" I asked. I hoped Selena wouldn't ask me what I was thinking about. Her concern turned into confusion. "I just want to spend more time with you." I said with a smile. I didn't want her to worry anymore and it was true, I wanted to spend time with her in a setting where we could catch up some more. I gulped when I saw her approach me slowly with a smirk. She let go of my hands and I inhaled deeply yet softly hoping she hadn't heard once her hands landed on my waist.

"You want some _alone _time with me?" She asked with a whisper by my ear. I licked my lips and nodded breathlessly while placing my hands on the nape of her neck. _Do you not know what you're doing to me?_ I thought. "What do you want to do?" She asked giggling.

"Anything." I said in a barely audible whisper. I was doing my very best to control myself.

"Anything?" She asked while pulling me closer so that our bodies were actually touching. I felt a blazing heat course through me. I was thankful that we'd gone to the mall with casual enough clothing that the paparazzi or fans wouldn't recognize us. As much as I love my fans, I didn't want anything to end whatever was happening in that moment between Selena and me.

"Everything." I replied.

Everything was just so intense that I didn't dare break it. I didn't want to go back to holding hands like buddies or watching television together while texting a girlfriend that I didn't love. I wanted _this. _I wanted Selena and I didn't care if I was being vulnerable. There was just something about the way she'd been treating me as of recently, it was the same as before she left, but it wasn't. It was so much more and I liked it. I wasn't stupid enough to believe that Selena wanted me as anything more than her friend, but this change was very much welcome on my behalf as long as she'd never let go.

"Deedee?" Our moment wasn't interrupted by fans or paparazzi, however. It was my girlfriend whose voice resounded loudly as Selena and I pulled apart. Any thoughts of being with Selena faded once I saw Emily and the look of hurt on her face; not because I didn't want to be with Selena, but because it was then that I understood just how hard it would be to breakup with Emily after she'd been by my side for so long. Selena rolled her eyes and stepped away from me slightly.

"Hey sis. You look kind of flustered, everything okay?" I hadn't noticed that my sister was standing beside Emily. She was smirking knowingly as she looked between Selena and me. I groaned and with a glare Dallas' way I walked to catch up to Emily who'd taken off not too far away.

Selena's POV

I narrowed my eyes at Dallas as she approached me. Demi and I were having a moment, I could feel it and then Emily had to waltz into the picture. I assumed Dallas was the one to tell her where Demi and I were. Demi and Emily were standing a few feet away from us when Dallas finally stood next to me. She placed her arm around my shoulders and squeezed softly.

"I'm good." She said with a smug smile as she nodded to herself. I raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

"What are you talking about now Dallas?" I asked. I was curious to know what exactly she was _good _at.

"You should be thanking me." She said with pursed lips motioning towards her sister and Emily.

"Huh?" I asked again.

"Emily is totally going to breakup with Demi now." Dallas said as if it was clear. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"What makes you think that?"

"Seriously? I'd break up with my girlfriend if I'd just caught her practically kissing someone as hot as you." I blushed under Dallas's scrutiny. She wiggled her eyebrows playfully and shrugged.

"Yeah well you messed up that _kiss _for me." I said. I tried moving her arm off of my shoulders, but ended up giggling when she poked me.

"Oh come on dweeb, don't be mad. I was just trying to help you." She said with a smile. I shook my head and nodded, she did always seem to have my best interest in mind.

"Ok, I guess." I replied with a laugh. Dallas had started poking my sides again.

"Don't worry you'll get to kiss her soon enough." She said teasingly. She began making kissing sounds with puckered lips and closed eyes. That was enough to help me run away from her grasp and run around in circles. She followed close behind. She eventually caught up and continued poking me as she mocked me with kissing sounds. We were both laughing loudly as she joked around and taunted me about kissing Demi.

"Selly." I thought I could hear Demi call me, but I was being tickled by Dallas so I couldn't tell over the sounds of our laughter. "Selly." That was definitely Demi trying to catch my attention. I was hunched over with Dallas as we both tried calming down. "Selena!" That was when Dallas and I both stood up barely chuckling anymore to pay attention to Demi. Unfortunately it would seem that I hadn't looked soon enough because Demi gave me a disappointed look and marched off upset with Emily in tow.

"What's wrong with her?" Dallas asked with an expression that matched my confusion as well.

"I don't know." I shrugged.

* * *

And so the rest of the day was spent with Demi completely ignoring me. I would try speaking to her on occasion and she would simply nod or look at me briefly then look away. It was confusing. I wondered if this was what Demi felt when I'd just left that day years ago.

I could hear the television playing in the living room. I took a deep breath as I motivated myself to go and speak to Demi again. She sat there in front of the television watching reruns of Skins season four. I approached the couch where she was and stood at an angle that didn't block her sight from the television and where she'd be able to see look at me if she felt like it. I stood quietly for several minutes to see if she'd talk to me first, but she didn't.

"Hey Dems I…" I was interrupted by an overly excited Dallas.

"Sel, you're never gonna believe what just happened." She yelled from where I assumed was her bedroom upstairs. I looked at Demi's reaction; I wanted to make sure she was really ignoring me before going to see what Dallas was talking about. I didn't want Demi to think I was dismissing her. I sighed deeply when a minute or so had passed and she still had nothing to say to me. Or so I thought.

"Yeah, just go ahead and spend all day with her; like I give damn." I stopped in my tracks once I heard those words fall from Demi's lips. I turned around and stood back in front of her, only this time I was directly in front of her view.

"Demi, what's going on?" I asked looking down at her. She simply looked up with a scoff and shook her head. I was taken aback, I wasn't sure that I'd done anything to merit her behavior. "Seriously, what did I do?"

"I'm not sure Selena. Maybe Dallas knows." She said mockingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. My question seemed to anger her because she stood defiantly with her arms crossed over her chest. She stared at me long and hard before speaking.

"Are you guys like together or something?" She asked.

"You have got to be kidding me." I said with a small chuckle. "Dallas? Really Demi? Where is this coming from?" I asked confused.

"Yeah really Selena. Dallas." She said harshly and I could tell then that she was jealous. It only made sense that she'd be upset about me spending so much time with her sister; time that apparently she wanted for just herself.

"Are you jealous?" I asked.

"You wish." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" That was pretty much the point of no return. I could tell that the conversation was headed to a heated place.

"So you are with her." She stated confidently.

"I didn't say that." I said; my voice laced with frustration.

"But you didn't deny it either." She responded. I groaned and shook my head in disbelief. What was happening? I'd never seen Demi so upset.

"I'm not with Dallas, but even if I were, I don't see why that would be a problem." I said.

"It's a problem because you came back for me! Not her!"

"You're right! I just don't see why we have to make a big deal about this. Nothing is happening between Dallas and me and I'm still here for you." I said slowly hoping that it would ease Demi's insecurities. She stared at me for a minute before shaking her head and looking at me with disbelief.

"I get it okay? You like her, you like hugging and kissing her and spending all day with her." She said disturbed. I sighed in defeat. Not once had I said a thing about Demi being overly affectionate towards her girlfriend in front of me.

"I don't complain about you hugging, kissing and spending all day with Emily." I returned with a raised eyebrow.

"That's different." She said lowly. I scoffed as I shook my head.

"How is it different?" I asked sternly. She looked at me intensely, but there was no answer. "See? It's not different. At least I'm not the going around licking people's faces and throwing pictures of it for the whole world to see." Demi glared and paced around until she took one large step towards me.

"Well maybe if you hadn't disappeared on me I wouldn't have done any of that!"

"Oh so now it's my fault?" I asked just as heatedly as her while stepping closer to her as well.

"Yeah it is!" I scoffed. "You left me for no god damn reason." She was looking at me with so much pent up anger and hurt. I knew this little argument was her way of letting it all out.

"I left you because I didn't want either one of us to get hurt." I replied in a softer tone. I hoped she'd see that I was throwing in the towel. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she too was tired of arguing. She was still worked up and walking up to me to the point where I could feel her breath on my face.

"How's that working out for you?" She asked patronizingly. I licked my lips as I stared into her eyes for the umpteenth time. I was a goner the moment I felt her leg between my own as she invaded my personal space. I welcomed the intrusion. I wanted her to get as close to me as possible and forget our silly tirade.

"Demi." I whispered as I licked my lips again. The moment I said her name she grew quiet and her eyes landed on my mouth. My heart was racing. The same fierceness that was spewed from our words just moments ago was being used as we looked into one another's eyes. It was enthralling, compelling and completely confusing, but it was so us. "Kiss me."

* * *

_NikkiCandiOE: I agree with you, Dallas and Selena are cute together. Demi will continue to be slightly jealous. Thanks for reading. _

_Jenn: No Jenn it's not wrong. I will confess that I myself ship Sallas more than Demena in this fic. For some reason during the process of me writing the original, I fell in love with the relationship between them. I'm glad you enjoy the story. Thanks for reading. _

_NickiMinajlover: I love jealous!Demi, she's so feisty huh? lol. The flirting is my favorite thing to write between the two. Can't help it. Thank you for reading and reviewing. :)_

_Nikki7993: No it is not bad. Welcome to the club lol. Thanks for the review. _

_KarbaraBieber: Thank you! You're amazing for reading and reviewing :). It's not selfish of you. You don't have to worry about me taking long to update cause i'm already done editing it all. Only time when I might take a while is during Christmas week but other than that I'll update daily (hopefully)._

_Thanks to anybody else who's reading this again or for the first time. I appreciate it. :)_


	8. Chapter 7

_"Kiss me."_

The moment the words slipped from my lips I regretted it; not because I didn't want it, but because there was no way that Demi could want it. Her eyes wavered with hesitation as she looked at me. She shook her head and lowered it to avoid the continued eye contact.

"I can't." She responded with a barely audible whisper. I sighed deeply. I was so embarrassed. I'd let my emotions get the best of me and took about fifty steps that should have been taken slowly with Demi. I was supposed to be working on our friendship for the time being. I admonished myself internally and cringed when she continued speaking. "Emily." She said simply. It was obvious what she meant, I didn't need clarification. Hearing that name was more than enough to let me know that a kiss was far from our reality. It was then that I thought to take the entire situation another route. Demi didn't have to know that I seriously wanted a kiss.

I stepped away from her and smiled. I waited for her to raise her head again. When she did I could see the confusion on her face. She faltered slightly and raised an eyebrow questioningly. I started laughing lightly at first, later going on to laughing harder in attempts to drift away from the argument. Demi continued to look on in confusion.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked softly. I brought the laughing down a notch when I saw the insecurity in her eyes, it was heart wrenching.

"I'm sorry. I was just joking." I explained falsely.

"What?" She asked. I sighed deeply and pulled her into a hug.

"I didn't want to fight. I thought something like that would calm you down." I lied. "Can we just forget about it?" I asked hopefully. She stood silently until she nodded her head and whispered a yes. I let out a breath that I was holding in and nodded as well. She smiled softly and went back to her previous activity of watching television. _And here I was thinking everything was just perfect._

* * *

"So wait a second." Dallas stated. I was lying on Dallas' bed looking up towards the ceiling. After the whole debacle downstairs with Demi, I needed some time away from her. I was too embarrassed to actually face her. "You told her to kiss you and she said no?" I nodded and played with my nails to distract me from my tears. "That's just seems so crazy to me."

"Yeah it's crazy alright." I replied.

"Well that sucks big time." She said apologetically as she sat next to me. She pat my knee with empathy.

"I know, don't remind me." I said with a groan. I pulled the pillow from under me and covered my face with it. I could hear Dallas laugh lowly before she took the pillow away from me and threw it to the side.

"My pleasure." She said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at her and smiled modestly. Dallas always knew how to make me feel better in an instant. That thought made me think about Demi and whether or not I'd made her feel bad. And that thought made me think about the fact that she was possibly speaking to Emily and _Emily _was making _her _feel better. I could already feel the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Dallas made a noise of disapproval and grabbed my hands to pull me up in a sitting position like her. I felt her fingers gently wipe away some tears that'd fallen from my eyes. "Hey." She said softly. "How many times am I gonna have to tell you, crying isn't gonna get you anywhere?"

"I'm not crying." I said lamely. She grinned and shook her head as she rubbed the palm of my hands.

"It's fairly obvious that you are dweeb."

"I just don't get it." The minute I said that, Dallas arms were around me securely. I leaned in and snuggled into her embrace; it helped to stop the tears. Dallas waited for my sniffles to end before continuing the conversation.

"She's just being faithful Selena. She didn't say she didn't want to kiss you." Dallas said while rubbing comforting circles on my back. I held onto her shirt and buried my face in her neck.

"What does she have that I don't?" I asked sadly. What _did _Emily have that I didn't? Dallas sighed and shook her head. She rocked me slowly and kissed my head softly.

"Nothing Sel. You're amazing, sweet, and so beautiful. I'm positive that she knows that." I pulled back enough to look into Dallas' eyes which never seemed so bright. It was almost as if I was looking at the girl for the first time. We stared into one another's eyes for several long minutes. Then my eyes dropped to her lips; lips that were so pink and looked so soft.

Dallas looked at me with concern as she started rubbing my arms softly. I couldn't control myself even if I had wanted to. I leaned in at an achingly slow rate with her lips as my target. I was surprised to see that Dallas didn't move away from me as I got closer and closer to her. In fact, she licked her lips slowly with what I think was anticipation.

Our faces were mere inches apart, our breaths intermingling. I bit my lip as I stared into Dallas' eyes and waited for whatever was to come. Surprisingly enough I wasn't expecting Dallas to hold my face in her hands and crash our lips together. I inhaled deeply with the initial contact; her lips were most definitely soft. She pushed me into a lying position so she could straddle my waist. I placed my hands at the base of her neck motioning her to deepen the kiss. She pulled away from my mouth with my bottom lip in her teeth and came back with so much to give. The moment her tongue touched my lips and I granted her access, I moaned deep in my throat.

The sound must have knocked her out of her reverie because she was looking down at me through deep breaths. Her eyes were then a darker shade of brown, her pupils fully dilated. It didn't take long before she was kissing me again, slowly and with purpose. Her right hand was teasingly playing with the hem of my shirt before she slowly stroked my stomach. Her hands slowly crept up and my breathing intensified. A whispered _'Dallas'_ escaped my lips when I felt her hands on my breast. My hand wound up in her hair with want as I drew her closer to me.

The action seemed to encourage her because she stopped kissing me, just to start placing wet kisses along my neck. My thoughts were clouded by desire, I was too far gone to care about anything…

* * *

_fcwolfg: I'm guessing this kind of Sallas interaction was what you were looking forward to right? lol. Thank you for the support :)_

_randomfan: Love that you love it, just so you know :)._

_Nikki7993: This story is a whirlwind of events, really anything can happen. If you didn't read this story the first time around then you are up for some surprises. Thanks for reading. _

_NickiMinajlover: YES THE SEXUAL TENSION. LOL. _

_KarbaraBieber: Here's the early chapter that I promised. I am uploading another one today since this one was so short and has a pretty big cliffhanger. Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading. _

_Thanks to everybody who's reading. I appreciate it._


	9. Chapter 8

…_to start placing wet kisses along my neck. My thoughts were clouded by desire; I was too far gone to care about anything…_

…. Her hands continued to work on my breast. Nimble fingers working on my nipples. I pulled on her hair to draw her closer to me as her tongue lavished my pulse point.

"Oh my god." I whispered. Only I didn't whisper; it was Demi. She'd just walked into the room. Dallas' response was to jump off of me quickly, practically face planting on the floor. I sat while brushing my disheveled hair. Demi's face was of pure shock. There were tears in her eyes as she looked between Dallas and me. I wanted to speak but I couldn't find the right words to say. It would be ridiculous to say _'it's not what it looked like' _because it obviously was. I couldn't really dismiss the situation as if nothing happened either. It was a no win situation. Demi glared at me and shook her head with disbelief. "I hate you." And she stormed out of the room.

"Demi." I said loudly as I ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs in pursuit of the girl. Once downstairs I saw the front door open. I jogged outside to catch up with her. "Demi." I called out again. She ignored me and kept on walking down the block with her head down. I eventually caught up with her and held onto her hand in order to stop her from walking anymore. She shrugged my hand away and crossed her arms against her chest. "Can we just talk?" I asked.

"Why? So you can just lie to me again?" She snapped while turning around to face me.

"When did I lie to you?" I asked for clarification. She scoffed in response.

"Really? You told me there was nothing going on between you and Dallas only for me to walk in on you guys practically fucking each other!" I flinched at her tone. "She's my sister!"

"So what? Why is it such a big deal?" I asked. Things had regressed to our earlier argument; heated and thick with tension. I had an inkling that Demi was jealous and if that was the case I wanted to hear it.

"You're so stupid Selena." Apparently there wouldn't be any confessions of jealousy.

"Why am I stupid?" I asked beginning to feel frustrated and again she scoffed.

"You know what? I take that back. You're just _acting _stupid."

"Well _you _know what? I can kiss whoever the hell I want and there's no reason why you should be affected by it even if it is your sister." I said. Her response momentarily was to glare.

"I hate you so much." She spewed while pacing about.

"Stop saying that."

"No! I'll say it as much as I want to."

"You don't even mean it!" I replied.

"_So what?_" She asked mockingly. "I just don't get you. You think you can just some back into my life after everything is finally looking good and just turn it all around? Are you so selfish that you can't let me be happy?" I could tell this conversation was going nowhere and I was already just as riled up as Demi, if not more.

"What the hell? I'm not selfish." She looked at me and chuckled defiantly with a shake of her head. "Why else do you think I stopped speaking to you?"

"Oh, I don't know; maybe to come back years later and have sex with my sister!" I let out a frustrated sigh as I rubbed my temple.

"I didn't have sex with your sister!"

"Of course not, I walked in before you could finish." I shook my head in disbelief. _What's happening? _Was my train of thought again. I was too exhausted to continue arguing with Demi. I decided to just explain why I had stopped speaking to her; there didn't seem to be a way for us to move past it - as friends or otherwise - if she held resentment about it because she was clueless about my motives.

"I wasn't going to have sex with her Demi. I was just sad because of our argument from earlier today." I paused for a short time to collect my thoughts. Demi looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "When I told you to kiss me I meant it. I said I was joking about it because I was embarrassed about it. You have a girlfriend and all I wanted was to be able to kiss you like I've always wanted to." I had Demi's full attention. She would occasionally look from my face to the tattoos located on her wrist but I could tell that she was paying attention to me. "Just put yourself in my position. Do you think it was easy for me to see that picture of you and Emily that's circling the internet? No, better yet, do you think it's easy for me to see you do with her everything I wish you were doing with me?"

She sighed and looked away slightly with a shrug. I took her silence as a sign to continue. "I stopped speaking to you because I thought if I pushed you away everything that I was feeling would just disappear. I was scared to lose you because of my feelings, and I just ended up losing you anyway." I held Demi's chin and turned her head gently so she was looking me in the eye. "It was useless Demi. Here I am, heart racing, beating so fast in my chest that I think it might explode and it's because of you. What happened with Dallas…" She attempted to look away but I held onto her shoulders to keep her from doing so. "…She was comforting me and things got a little out of hand. It meant nothing to either of us." Demi stood with tears in her eyes. "Demi." I whispered softly while reaching for her hand.

"Just leave." She said brokenly. I was caught off guard by her response and stood stoic. I expected anger as a response, not what Demi was displaying in that moment. I swallowed thickly feeling a knot in my throat. It was as if she was breaking up with me even if it wasn't the case. It was the worst feeling ever.

"Demi, I…" I attempted to say when I broke out of my trance. She shook her head and with a raised hand stopped me from getting any closer to her.

"Don't Selena, just leave." I shook my head. "Please." She whispered. I nodded regardless of the fact that I was hurting so badly inside. I summoned up the courage to slowly lower the hand that was blocking me from her. I cupped her face in my hands to clear her tear stained cheeks. I leaned in slowly and gave her a small peck on the lips. I thought to myself, if that was the last time I'd be around her again, I would at least leave with a kiss. I moved away from her slowly while still holding her. Her eyes were closed tightly as she licked her lips.

"Okay." I said with a nod. I didn't want to waste anymore of Demi's time, so I immediately walked back towards the house.

When I walked in the first thing I saw was Dallas sitting on the stairs with a guilty look on her face while she uncharacteristically played with her fingers. She gave me an apologetic look and I nodded to let her know she wasn't to blame for whatever just happened.

"She really hates me now." I said. Dallas had made some space for me and I sat down next to her.

"No, she doesn't." She said. "Where is she?" She added curiously.

"I heard her car engine when I got in here, so I guess she's going to Emily's." I said with a shrug. Dallas nodded and bumped her shoulder against my own.

"She really doesn't hate you." She reassured.

"She really does." I replied with a deep sigh. "I told her about my feelings for her." I looked at Dallas with a frown and she shook her head softly as she caught the first tear. She placed her arm around my shoulders just how she was used to when she would comfort me. I placed my head on her chest dejectedly. "She asked me to leave."

"Leave the house? Or just leave her alone?" Dallas asked for clarification. I shrugged again.

"It doesn't matter what she meant. I don't think she'd want me here either way." I said. Dallas nodded and squeezed me softly.

"Well you don't have to leave tonight. You can stay in my room if you want." I looked up at her and smiled. I was glad Dallas was around to keep me company for the time being. "As long as you don't try to jump me while I'm asleep." She said with a smirk. I pushed her faintly and laughed. She understood that I was thinking about whether to stay or not because she sat in silence with me until I made up my mind.

"Okay, I'll stay." I said while wiping away some more tears.

"Perfect. That means I can help you fix this mess with Demi. If I hadn't kissed you too, you probably wouldn't be in this predicament." She said. I shook my head and stood up from the step where we were sitting. I held my hands out for her to take and helped her stand up.

"It's not your fault Dal. Our problems go way beyond you and me making out. Did I mention that you suck at that by the way?" I said jokingly feigning disgust.

"Hey!" She said sounding slightly offended. I rolled my eyes playfully and grabbed her arm to place it around my shoulders again as we walked up the stairs to her room. As soon as we were in her room, Dallas acted upset about my remark and threw herself on bed with a frown. If there was something Dallas hated it was saying she wasn't good at something.

"I was just kidding. You're an amazing kisser." I threw myself in bed much like Dallas had done and closed my eyes instantly. All I wanted was for everything that had just happened to have been nothing more than just a figment of my imagination.

Demi's POV

The moment Selena had turned around I broke down. And as if hearing her confession wasn't enough to send me on a whirlwind of emotions, Selena kissed me. It was a simple kiss. Nothing more than just the brush of our lips, but it was everything I had imagined a kiss with Selena to be and more. I had told her to leave because I didn't know how to deal with what I'd just heard, but when I saw her walk away I knew I wasn't ready to have her leave my life again; I know I'd never be ready for that again.

I walked to my car and contemplated sleeping over at Emily's, but the last thing I needed was to go over and have her insist that we have sex. So, I sat quietly in my car waiting to see when Selena left. Except she never left the house and as time passed I resigned myself to the fact that maybe she was with Dallas. It was Dallas' house after all; if she wanted Selena to stay then I couldn't force her to leave. That didn't mean, however, that I actually wanted Selena to leave; far from it.

I knew I had the option of staying at a hotel for the night if I wanted to, but I was too exhausted for that. I'd have to pack some clothes and reserve a last minute room. I was just going to have to suck it up and go inside; which I did eventually. And that's when I heard something that made my stomach churn in an entirely wrong way.

_You're an amazing kisser._

I shook my head with disbelief. If Selena really cared about me as much as she said she did, then she wouldn't be with my sister right after confessing her 'feelings' for me. I pursed my lips and nodded slowly. I would just have to deal with whatever the situation was tomorrow.

I didn't bother changing into sleeping clothes. I lay on bed with my head buried under my pillows. I hoped I would fall asleep soon as images of Selena and Dallas replayed tortuously in my mind. I held back my tears and softly sang away the images until sleep finally overtook me.

_And I just ran out of band-aids._

_I don't even know where to start._

'_Cause you can bandage the damage. _

_You never really can fix a hear._

* * *

_KarbaraBieber: Quite the cliffhanger indeed! lol. I'm glad you think it's perfect. _

_Kayla: I like how intense things are. It makes things interesting and angsty don't you think :)_

_NickiMinajlover: I laughed out loud (literally) when I read your review. Demi really should have kissed her. _

_Nikki7993: Oh, please don't die on me yet. Wait til' the ending. Just kidding. Happy to see that you liked it. _

_RoXy106: I like that you're reading a Demi/Selena story and are shipping Sallas all the while. I like Dallas and Selena in this fic. And you never know... I might just switch things up last minute with no warning. :) _

_PLL-M: And there you have it, Demi walked in. Lol. Lots of drama at the moment and I'm glad you enjoy it so far. Demi's jealously is going to last a while. Thanks for reading and reviewing. _

_Nicole: Sallas! :D right back at ya' girl. Lol. Thanks for reading. _

_randomfan: As long as you liked it, right? That's what I'm looking for. Hoped you liked this too. _

_Again thank you all for reading this story. I'm actually quite interested in knowing what you guys think so far and what you'd like to see happen. I'm open to ideas. This is a rewrite, but if like the ideas then I'm more than willing to incorporate them into the story somehow. Next update will be up tomorrow or Tuesday. __Have a good one._


	10. Chapter 9

_A/N: This chapter is a longer chapter than usual because I'd promised KarbaraBieber that I'd update with two chapters but I wasn't able to. _

_Also, I am not a doctor and I literally know next to nothing about mental disorders, so bear with me if somethings aren't quite how they are in real life. Thanks for reading everybody. Enjoy._

* * *

It had been another long and sleepless night. I questioned my sanity many times when thinking back to the moment I told Demi about my feelings for her. I remembered thinking maybe Demi was jealous about Dallas and I because she had feelings for me too, but apparently she was upset because she believed I'd come back into her life with some sort of vendetta against her.

I sat on a stool by the kitchen island while Dallas made breakfast, much like the first morning I spent here.

"Think any harder and she just might wake up." Dallas said startling me from my thoughts. "So, are you leaving today?" I shrugged and looked down as I began tracing shapes on the island in front of me.

"I don't know. The only reason I came was for Demi and she obviously wants me to leave." I responded with a frown.

"I bet she wasn't thinking straight when she asked you to leave. She couldn't have been serious." I shook my head with a scoff.

"She looked pretty damn serious to me." I said seriously. "I'd never seen her so…"

"So?" Dallas asked.

"Outrageous, I guess. She was so upset and full of rage." I said softly. It was a side that I'd never seen from Demi. Dallas nodded and leaned against the counter. She gave me a stern look and explained.

"She was probably having a manic episode."

"What?" I asked.

"I thought you knew." she responded.

"Knew what, Dallas?" I asked worriedly.

"Demi's bipolar." I took a minute to process what Dallas had just told me. I definitely didn't know about it. "I thought you might have read about it somewhere."

"No, I didn't know." I said.

"There's really nothing to worry about though. She's better now." Dallas reassured.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really. I just think having you come back so suddenly might be a little overwhelming for her. I don't think her behavior has to do with hating you at all." She said with a smile. I nodded and she went back to breakfast making.

"I kissed her." I said. Dallas paused what she was doing briefly before continuing.

"You did?" She asked.

"Yeah, it was barely a peck. I thought that if I kissed her she might have asked me to stay, but she didn't." I said.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't want you to stay. She'd be crazy not to." Dallas replied. I smiled and shook my head.

"Well, I'm sure she's still with Emily." At that Dallas turned around and pointed at me with the spatula that was in her hand.

"Screw Emily, she has nothing on you." She said firmly. She strolled over to the stool next to me and took a seat. "I'm so sick of you putting yourself down and thinking that chick is actually better than you Selena." I looked away with a roll of my eyes, but as usual Dallas wasn't having it. "Look at me. Demi was at a weak point in her life and _Emily _just so happened to be around at the time."

I buried my face in my arms on the island with a groan. "What is that supposed to mean?" I whined. She grunted and pulled me up into a sitting position again.

"I don't really know." I chuckled and she shrugged.

"Great, I forgot who I'm getting advice from." I joked making her laugh along with me.

"Selena." She said gravely once our laughter died down. "You're gonna stay." I shook my head and attempted to speak, but Dallas covered my mouth with her hand. "You're staying and you're treating Demi exactly the way you've been treating her. You're going to be sweet, funny and adorable and…" She paused slightly to catch my eye. "You're going to make her see that she made a mistake by rejecting you twice." She finished.

"How do you suppose I do that?" I asked. Dallas smirked with a chuckle.

"The same way everybody else does something like that, Dweeb."

Apparently the way everybody else makes an _'ex'_ – figuratively speaking – regret ever leaving you, was to get a makeover; at least according to Dallas. She explained that I looked amazing already, but a makeover of my choice would not only make me feel more confident about myself, it would also exude that confidence to Demi.

Dallas had taken me to one of her friend's hair salon. I'd cut my hair back to shoulder length and added some highlights to it. After our salon escapade, we went to the mall to pick out a couple of outfits that looked a bit more _fuckable, _in the words of Dallas. That was how we spent most of the day. When we were eventually done with our shopping and returned home, I was slightly nervous about what I was about to do.

"So, do I have to tell you what you're gonna do again?" Dallas asked from the driver's seat of her car.

"No, Mom." I said annoyingly to tease her.

"Are you sure? Because knowing you, you're going to get all love sick and forget the task at hand." She responded with an equally teasing tone.

"No, I'm not. I'm going to walk in there, act as if nothing happened. Demi will most likely be surprised that I'm here let alone speaking to her, therefore she'll listen curiously to what I have to say. And according to you, she'll agree to the invitation simply because she'll have no reason to say no." I answered.

"Guess you really were paying attention." She mocked.

"What makes you think that's how things are going to play out?" I asked.

"Because I know these kinds of things Dweeb." She said tapping my nose lightly.

"Alright, let's just hope Emily isn't home." I said with a very audible groan.

"It doesn't matter anyway because Demi's going to say yes anyway." She said clicking her tongue against her teeth. I nodded in agreement and sat quietly in the passenger seat for a minute. Dallas sat patiently; she didn't push me to get it over with.

"You know? When I got here, I was worried that you'd have me killed or something equally as gruesome." Dallas smirked and shook her head with mirth. "But, you've been an amazing friend from the moment you saw me." I said softly; Dallas nodded this time. "Why? Why haven't you given me shit?" I asked curiously. She sighed and faced me slowly.

"I don't know. I probably should, huh?" She asked with a grin. "You deserve to be happy and so does Demi."

"Who are you and what have you done with Dallas?" I asked with a smile.

"Right now I'm just trying to make up for kissing you." She said averting her gaze.

"I kissed you first." I said softly. I had the urge to ask her why she had returned the kiss, but I decided against it. I didn't think Dallas would appreciate a conversation like that, especially not when she obviously regretted the kiss and was trying to 'make up' for it.

"Look, just go in there and get your girl, okay?" She said with a smile. I nodded and with a kiss to her cheek I walked out of the car.

* * *

Demi's POV

Emily and I sat in the living room watching television as we usually did whenever she was here. I always did my best to have as little physical contact with the girl as possible. It was a horrible thing to do to my girlfriend, but it's safe to say that the only reason I haven't ended our relationship is because I have no idea how to do so. We were holding hands, but we barely spoke. I wasn't in the mood anyway; not after the night that I'd had.

I'd woken up to an empty house. I wasn't sure if Dallas had taken Selena to a nearby airport to leave or if they were out together. Either way I was sad to not wake up by her side again. I shouldn't have let my jealousy get to me the way it did. I wasn't sure whether to believe Selena about her relationship with Dallas, but the minute I saw them kissing it was like a switch went off inside of me. She was probably gone though. I made it clear that I wanted her to leave, even if I didn't mean it.

Surprisingly enough to me, she wasn't gone. In fact, I was so lost in my thoughts that I'd failed to notice that she was standing in front of Emily and I. I heard Emily groan lowly and reach for the remote to pause our show. I was going to attempt avoiding eye contact with Selena, but I ended up doing something worse. It would seem that Selena was wearing a very short jean skirt that exposed her long legs. My eyes widened as I stared at them. My eyes started from her bare feet and went upward slowly to her toned thighs. I licked my lips as I started to feel my lips dry from my gaping mouth.

"I was wondering if you guys had plans for tonight." She said. My eyes were still on their voyage and they landed on her breasts that were framed perfectly under the red v-neck shirt that she was wearing. I scolded myself internally for blatantly staring at Selena, but I wasn't able to stop myself anyway.

"No, we don't. Why do you ask?" Emily snapped impatiently. I subconsciously nudged her with my elbow for daring to speak to Selena that way. I gasped lightly when I finally looked at Selena's face. She looked like she was fresh out of one of my fantasies. I gulped to keep myself in check.

"Dallas and I are going bowling. Do you guys wanna come with?" Selena asked. I was too focused on the amazing view in front of me to be jealous about the fact that she was going anywhere with Dallas or to actually listen to the question and avoid nodding aimlessly.

"Great, see you later then." Selena took my absentminded nod as a yes and practically skipped away. I couldn't help following her every step with my eyes. For some reason, Emily called Selena. Once she had the girl's attention, she pulled me into her and kissed me. I immediately pulled away and glared at Emily for her childish antics. Selena rolled her eyes and walked away with less pep to her step.

"What the hell, Emily?" I asked sternly. "Don't you think that was uncalled for?" Emily had mentioned that she knew Selena had feelings for me. I secretly hoped that it would make her breakup with me, but she didn't. I knew she's kissed me out of spite.

"Do you think staring at her when I'm around is called for?" She snapped in return.

"I wasn't staring." I said with a roll of my eyes. I wasn't feeling up to another argument so soon.

"Whatever, Demi. I'm not in the mood." Praise whatever higher being for Emily not wanting to argue either. I sighed and rested my head on the back of the couch. I couldn't believe that I'd agreed to going out with Selena and Dallas. If I'd just told Selena that I feel the same way about her, maybe things would have been different already. If I weren't so worried about not hurting Emily, I would've been single and available to Selena. However, I was still with Emily and I didn't want to hurt her, so I'd yet thought of a way to end things on a good note; the girl had been around for so long when I needed her to be. "Are they together?" My thoughts were once again interrupted by Emily.

"Who?"

"Selena and Dallas?" She asked as if it was obvious. I shrugged and rubbed my temple.

"I don't know and I don't care." I said in a nonchalant voice.

"I think they make the perfect couple." She said with a smirk. It was her way of getting a rise out of me. She'd asked me to admit that I wanted Selena on multiple occasions, but I never did so. I could tell this was another of her attempts to get me to say it. "I mean the way they look at each other and the way they're always on top of one another is so cute." She continued.

"Good for them." I replied annoyed. I could already feel my anger bubbling inside me.

"Good for Selena. I heard that Dallas is a real freak in the sack." I looked at Emily surprised.

"Who told you that?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I was secretly hoping that she wouldn't say Selena. Although the chances of Selena ever having a civilized conversation with Emily were slim, let alone talking about sex with her.

"I just heard it around. To think that right now they might be going at it." She said wiggling her eyebrows. I felt the same amount of jealously as I did the previous night and I just wanted to forget about it. Those images of them kissing plagued my mind again. I pulled Emily harshly towards me and kissed her roughly. If she was going to provoke me in such a way then she'd have to deal with it. That was basically our relationship, Emily seeking attention from me while I used the girl. It was unhealthy to say the least. Things began to progress quickly until I felt Emily's hand slip into my pants. I pushed her slightly and shook my head. "Not again, Demi. You've got to be kidding me." She groaned.

"Sorry. I'm not in the mood." I said softly.

"Didn't seem like it a while ago. Come on, we haven't had sex in months." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I blinked hard to forget that my first time wasn't with Selena how I'd hoped it would be. I didn't want to remember my drunken first time with Emily so I stood to go upstairs.

"I'm gonna go get ready." She scoffed and nodded as I gave her cheek a small kiss.

After getting ready I walked downstairs where Emily was waiting for me. I handed her my keys without speaking and she took the hint as we walked to my car. I had decided that it would be best to meet with Selena and Dallas at the bowling alley. I didn't think I could handle a drive with the two acting like a couple even if they 'weren't' one. Emily and I were silent for the ride; the radio played softly as I tried to calm my nerves about the night.

The first thing I noticed once we'd arrived was how packed the place was. I'd never seen so many people in a bowling alley. There was music going on louder than it should have been, it looked more like a party than an intimate get together. Even though it was fairly crowded, it didn't take long for me to spot Selena with a group of people surrounding her as she took a turn. They cheered her on and chanted her name.

I felt Emily hold my hand and pull me along with her until we reached the group. Dallas was standing beside Selena while talking to a girl who I assumed was a friend of hers. Emily guided me towards her.

"Hey Dallas, what's up?" Emily said. Dallas smirked and pointed at Emily's chest.

"Definitely not those." Dallas replied with a laugh. I had to bite my lip to avoid laughing too. Dallas could be funny when she wanted to be.

"Very funny." Emily said rolling her eyes. "What's with all these people?"

"Yeah, I thought we were just gonna bowl, not party." I said with narrowed eyes. Dallas smirked and shrugged.

"Well sis' the parties go where I go." She said with a smug grin plastered across her face. It was my turn to roll my eyes at her.

"Whatever." I responded. I turned away from Dallas and her clowning around to find Selena with my eyes. I smiled when I saw her bounce slightly because she'd made a strike. The crowd around her continued cheering and she did the cutest victory dance ever. She looked beautiful, but then again, she always did. Once she was done with her little dance she walked over to where we were standing. I growled low enough for myself to hear when she stood by Dallas.

"Hey, you made it." She said with a smile. I responded with a smile of my own and a short nod. "You up for a game?" She asked. Emily and I both decided that we wouldn't be playing. I asked myself again, why I'd thought it be a good idea to actually go.

"Boring." Dallas said dragging out the 'o' to make it extra annoying.

Time went by relatively fast after that. I was sitting on a bench watching Selena bowl her head off and enjoy the constant cheers. Dallas was sitting close by talking with a group of people, probably telling her stupid sex jokes. Emily was next to me on her phone as usual, she looked just as bored as me.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom." She said with a kiss to my cheek. I nodded with a sigh. Selena was having, or seemed to be having so much fun. I could tell that she was trying a little too hard to appear happy.

I noticed a girl approach Selena and whisper something in her ear. The girl pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and Selena smiled wide. She also pulled out a pen and handed it to Selena. It was obvious that the girl had asked Selena for an autograph, however, I didn't like the proximity between the two. Selena didn't even know the girl.

I kept on look over and saw the girl squealed and jump around several times before hugging Selena. She seemed to whisper something else to Selena who once again nodded. I glared their way and stood up curiously. Selena had stepped behind the girl and handed the girl a bowling ball to hold. I grit my teeth when I saw Selena's hand travel from the girl's shoulders all the way down to her hands. I shook my head in disbelief and decided to break things up between the two. I was running on jealously not logic.

I felt someone's grip on my arm, however, when I was closer to Selena. I turned around and came face to face with Dallas who was giving me a serious stare.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked me; she was still holding onto me.

"None of you business." I snapped while getting out of her grasp. I started walking over to Selena again but, Dallas stood in front of me this time with a challenging look.

"I know what you're about to do. Why don't you just let her have fun?" Dallas asked me.

"Because she's Selena Gomez and that girl knows it. She's probably just looking to create a scandal for the paparazzi." I said lamely. It was a horrible excuse as to why I was going over there.

"Oh come on, really Demi? That's pathetic. I took care of the paparazzi." She quipped.

"Whatever. Just get out of my way." I said sharply as I attempted to push my way past her; she wouldn't budge.

"I'm not letting you do this. Why don't you go find your girlfriend and make out or something?" Something inside of me snapped and I stepped into Dallas' personal space.

"You mean kind of how you and Selena were making out?" I sneered. She smirked and raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"Yeah, something like that." I breathed in deeply and tried my best to ignore the comment. "Why? Does that bother you lil' Sis?"

"Fuck you, Dallas!" I was doing my best not to burst, but evidently it wasn't working. I knew Dallas was trying to get me to say that it bothered me. "I don't care what you do together. You can even fuck her if you want to. Oh, wait you probably already did that."

She took just a step closer to me. "Yeah, I already did." I bit my lip hard and clenched my fists. "And it was _amazing._"

_You're an amazing kisser. _

Everything just snapped from there on because next thing I knew, I'd punched Dallas square on the face. She stepped back in shocked as she covered her eye.

"You are so dead, Demetria!" She snarled while touching her eye.

"Bring it on, Lovato."

She plunged herself at me and grabbed me by my hair. We twirled around until I pushed her against one of the benches to let go of me. She didn't hesitate to sand up. She held onto the collar of my shirt and pushed me forward with her to an alley. Unfortunately neither of us was wearing bowling shoes so we fell and slipped about halfway down the alley.

Dallas had fallen on top of me, but I used my knee to kick her off of me. I wasn't about to let her gain control again so I straddled her. I thought I heard my name being called right as I was about to punch her and Dallas took that chance to punch me. I groaned as she pushed me off of her to the side. I put some pressure on my bottom lip which was bleeding already.

Dallas stood while holding her side where I'd kicked her. She didn't notice me stand up as well which gave me the chance to grab her arm and twist it behind her back. She screamed in pain and elbowed me with her free arm. Eventually we were both hooked onto each others hair with a huge crowd surrounding us and yelling things like 'cat fight'. Thank god the paparazzi had been taken care of.

I felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around my waist and try to pull me away from the hassle.

"Demi, let go! What the hell?" Emily shouted.

"Dallas! Stop it!" I head Selena say from some point in the room. I was still under Dallas' hold so I couldn't see where she was. "Dallas!" She shouted again and Dallas let go that time. I raised my head with enough time to see Selena nudge Dallas away from me with a concerned look on her face. She approached me urgently. "Demi, are you okay?"

Emily stood next to me dumfounding. Selena, however, had a knowing look on her face. She knew perfectly well what it was all about. She stepped closer to me as she extended her hand out. When I didn't accept her hand she reached for my face, but I slapped her hand away hard. The moment I felt my face grow warmer I knew that I'd started crying. I didn't want Selena to see me like this. I'd let things get out of hand because of my jealousy again. I ran to my purse and grabbed it hurriedly. I didn't spare a glance anybody's way as I sprinted out of the bowling alley.

"Demi!"

* * *

_DemenaForever13: Thank you for following the story! I like the tension going on right now. It makes things fun. Let me know what you thought about this chapter. :)_

_Nikki7993: I feel the same way. I ship Demena and Sallas so while I'm happy that Sallas shared a kiss, the Demena angst makes me sad. I'm glad you like it. And thanks so much for that video again. _

_fcwolfg: Yes Sallas lives. I'm waiting on my cookies and hugs, lol. Thanks for reading. _

_NickiMinajlover: Everybody's stupid! Seriously they all have moments where you just sit there and ask yourself, what the hell were you thinking. Thanks for reading :)_

_Pieri25: I had missed a reply to your review, so this is me making up for it. I'm glad I was able to shock you, those are the kind of reactions I want to see in my readers. So glad that you like it so far. Thanks for reading and reviewing. :)_

_Allie: Thank you! You posed such a good question about Demi and relapsing that I'm actually looking for ways and where I can incorporate that into this fic. When I'd originally written this, I kinda oversaw the details of Demi's rehab experience and condition, but since I'm focusing on that lightly now, I really love your idea. Thanks again. Hope you liked this chapter. _

_KarbaraBieber: Sorry that I didn't have this up in the morning. Hope your thing wasn't too boring -if it was boring at all that means-. Anyway I hope this made up for it and you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and reviewing. :)_


	11. Chapter 10

"_Demi!"_

I watched Demi run away with Emily in tow. Dallas was next to me groaning as she rubbed her eye; you could already see the beginning of a bruise.

"Dallas, what the hell just happened?" I asked with an elevated tone. Dallas continued to groan.

"I may have told Demi that we had amazing sex and she snapped." She responded while trying to blink.

"What? Why would you say that?" I asked confused. Dallas stomped with aggravation when she couldn't close her eye completely.

"Because she was acting irrational and jealous" She said.

"If she really was jealous, I don't think telling her that we had sex was going to help!" I said. Dallas rolled her eyes somewhat and groaned again in pain.

"She was going to interrupt whatever you had going on with that chick you were with. I told her to back off and let you have fun, but she didn't listen." She explained.

"And at what point in that conversation did you have to tell her that we had sex?" I asked. "Because we didn't have sex! My god, you're such an idiot." I yelled in frustration. Dallas stopped rubbing her eye and looked at me hurt.

"Yeah, well we almost did." Dallas voice was low and she had an expression I'd never seen from her before; she lowered her head in what I assumed was a way to avoid looking at me.

"Thank God we didn't." I remarked with crossed arms. The moment the words fell from my lips I wished I could take them back. Dallas' head snapped up and she looked at me incredulously. She glared at me as much as she could.

"Fuck this shit." She said firmly.

"Dal, I…" I tried to interject with an apology but she wasn't giving room for it.

"No, I'm done with all this drama. I was looking out for you; just trying to be a good friend." She didn't wait to take off after speaking. I groaned and stomped around several times. _Why do they always run away?_ I thought to myself. I felt horrible for saying what I did. It was hard to explain, but I didn't mean it. The only reason that I'd said it was because I was frustrated at Dallas for telling Demi we had slept together, but when I saw the look on Dallas' face I wanted to take it all back. I understood as I walked outside to find her that she really was always looking out for me. It seemed almost her priority.

Dallas wasn't far. She was leaning against the outer wall of the bowling alley with a cigarette between her lips. She was reaching for what I assumed was her lighter. I walked over to where she was and barely made it in time to pull the cigarette out of her mouth and snap it in the process. She rolled her eyes and winced in pain with a sigh. I bit my lip and waited to see if she'd say anything; she didn't.

"I'm sorry." I said softly. She looked at me with a blank expression that made me frown. "I didn't mean it. I was…"

"I get it." She interrupted while turning her head to look ahead. I stood next to her and leaned against the wall with her. We were quiet for a while as we looked at the parking lot and the several groups of people who were leaving. I could hear Dallas scuff her shoe against the pavement as she stepped on the broken cigarette that lay there. "What I don't get is when things got so complicated." I nodded in agreement with her gloomy words. I frowned yet again because I'd never heard her sound so sad. I could see her raise her hand to touch her eye, so I shifted my position to stand in front of her. I reached up and brought her hand down softly to replace it with mine.

"I'm sorry." I whispered while looking into her eyes. She licked her lips and shook her head slowly.

"Don't be. You have every right to be mad at me." She said just as softly as me. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to make things worse." I nodded and brushed my fingers against her swollen cheek causing her to wince in pain.

"Does it hurt a lot?" I asked.

"What do you think Dweeb?" She asked with a half grin. I smiled because she was starting to resemble her normal self again.

"I think Demi has a wicked punch." I said teasingly.

"Ha-ha, not funny Gomez." She quipped only to cringe when I accidently pressed too hard on the bruise. Her eyes closed and she scrunched up her nose in the cutest way. _Did I just think Dallas is cute?_ I gulped slowly at the realization and continued to look at the girl. "What?" She asked when I was caught staring.

"Nothing." I whispered shyly as I gazed at her hazel eyes. I'd never noticed the golden specks inside of them. I'd also never noticed the way Dallas looked at me. There was something different about it.

"Do it." She whispered.

"Do what?" The air around us fell silent with tension. I caught her eyes fixed on my lips and I licked my own when a sudden wave of nervousness overtook me. I couldn't help but look at her lips.

"That." Dallas said softly. She was still pressed up against the wall unmoving. I understood what she meant and with a smile I leaned forward slowly and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes with a smile and sighed when I leaned close enough to wrap my arms around her neck. Her hands held onto my waist firmly as she pulled me into slowly but surely.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked teasingly as my lips hovered over hers.

"Just do it." She whispered with her eyes closed. "Please." Seeing Dallas so vulnerable was something I had never witnessed until that moment. Her smile was so small yet charming. I pressed my lips to hers softly, the feeling of her sharp intake of breath shot jolts coursing through me. She deepened the kiss as her arms wrapped around my waist and she held me tenderly. Unlike the first time we'd kissed, this was less raw and much more sweet and caring. It was as if she actually meant this one. My hand tangled in her long blonde hair and I swore I could hear a faint whimper escape her lips. I pulled away in fear that I'd hurt her. I waited for her eyes to open but they never did as a grin spread across her face.

"You can open your eyes now." I said with a small laugh.

"No way." She whispered. "I'm engraving that in my memory and it takes time." She continued with a grin. I smacked her arm playfully and placed my head on her chest while lowering my arms around her in a better position. I sighed into her chest as I soaked in the feeling of safety there in her arms. There wasn't a moment when I didn't feel safe around Dallas. Sure, my mind drifted off to what Demi could have been doing at the moment, but I was comfortable enough with Dallas. Demi was most likely with her girlfriend anyway. "I think you should go find Demi." Dallas said unenthusiastically; it was as if she'd read my mind. I shook my head in response.

"Why? I'm sure she's with Emily." I said with a shrug. Dallas exhaled a deep breath and kissed my head gently.

"Maybe she's not." She said encouragingly. She was always trying to get me to 'man up'.

"Chances are she is." I replied softly. It was Dallas who shrugged this time as she squeezed me.

"Do you like me Dallas?" I felt her body tense slightly before she nodded.

"I think that's fairly obvious, Twerp." She replied with a chuckle. I could tell she was trying to make the question less serious.

"No, I mean…" I pulled away enough to look at her eyes. "Do you like like me?" For the first time ever Dallas lowered her head bashfully and started playing with the hem of her shirt. I held her hand and I couldn't help but feel big and mighty for making _the _Dallas nervous.

"What are you? Six?" She teased.

"If I'm six then that makes you a pedophile." I said with a mirthful smile.

"I didn't say I like 'like' you though." She replied with her fingers making quotation marks.

"But you didn't deny it either." She chuckled and shrugged again with a smirk.

"It depends really." She said raising her head.

"On what?" I asked

"Whether or not you like 'like' me too." She said teasingly while doing the finger thing again. I smiled and leaned forward to give her a chaste kiss. She placed her forehead on mine as I pulled back and I nodded truthfully. As much as I'd like to deny it, I found Dallas very attractive. "I knew you couldn't resist my charm."

* * *

Time passed by fast during the drive home. Dallas and I sang along to the radio whenever we knew a song that played. We didn't really speak about our moment by the bowling alley, but it didn't seem like we needed to. For some reason, Dallas never pushed any boundaries. After confirming that she in fact liked me, I thought she'd try to get into a relationship with me, but she didn't mention it or even imply it.

I made a mental note to call Jennifer when I got the chance. I needed to speak to somebody who wasn't involved with this whole mess. As nice as things were in that moment with Dallas, things were kind of getting out of hand with Demi and that's not what I wanted nor went there to do. There was also a thought that saddened me; Dallas ever getting hurt because of me.

When we arrived, she'd opened the door for me causing me to blush at the sudden change of behavior on her behalf. She'd let me know that she was going to shower and deal with her eye. I took that as a chance to call Jennifer. I stepped outside to the backyard and closed the glass doors behind me. I waited impatiently for the call to be answered.

"Hello." I smiled when I heard my friend's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hey, Jen." I greeted.

"So, you finally felt that you should call me huh?" She asked slyly. I groaned because I had completely forgotten that I promised I would call her, but never did.

"I'm so sorry. Things have just been really crazy around here." I replied apologetically.

"I would guess they are. I mean that's why you're calling me right." She said firmly.

"No, I mean. Kind of, but…"

"Calm down Sel. I'm just kidding ya'. What's up?" She said laughing. I sighed in relief.

"It's a long story." I whined.

"I have time."

"Okay. I'll try to make this as short as possible." I took in a deep breath and started to explain. "So, that girl in the picture with Demi is her girlfriend now and has been for a while. She's always around so I spend a lot of time with Dallas, more than with Demi sometimes. Demi was jealous about, she hasn't said that she was jealous, but I could tell that she was. I asked Demi to kiss me and she said no because she has a girlfriend. Dallas was comforting me and we kissed, like a full blown make out session. Demi walked in on us and then ran out of the house furious. I followed her and told her how I feel about her and she told me to leave so I kissed her. Just a peck, though. Dallas told me to stay even though Demi asked me to leave because I had to get my girl and what not so here I am. We had this plan and it backfired. Demi and Dallas fought a couple of hours ago. Dallas and I kissed again. She told me she likes me and now I'm home talking to you."

Jennifer was completely silent. I assumed she was trying to process everything.

"Jenn?" I said questioningly.

"Wow." She replied.

"I know." I said with a groan.

"So, Demi knows you're like in love with her, but she's still with the girl from the picture, right?" She asked for clarity.

"Yes." I replied sadly.

"And you're dating Dallas now?" She asked with so much confusion that I had to laugh.

"We're not dating." I said. "I don't really know what we're doing to be honest."

"Does Demi know that Dallas likes you?"

"I think she knew about it long before I did."

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"Jen." I whined. "That's why I called you. I don't know what to do."

"I can't tell you what to do, Sel." She said.

"I know." I replied defeated.

"Does Dallas want to date you?" I thought about the question and I felt a pang in my chest. It was so amazing to feel wanted by Dallas; the idea that she didn't want to date me was sad even if I wasn't particularly planning to date her.

"I don't think so." I replied.

"I say you just forget anything with Dallas ever happened then. Focus on Demi. You said they got into some kind of fight tonight? Go to her and show her that if you were going to pick sides, you'll always pick hers."

"What if I don't wanna pick sides?" I asked.

"You're going to have to eventually Sel." I sighed and nodded in understanding.

"Thanks Jen." I replied gratefully.

"No problem. Just make sure you call me back with the latest gossip." She said excitedly.

"Sure thing."

* * *

I walked into the kitchen and found Dallas rummaging through the fridge. She was startled when she saw me, but she greeted me with a smile.

"You hungry, Dweeb?" She asked.

"A little bit." I said with a nod.

"You're in luck. I'm gonna make us some sandwiches. Is turkey okay?" She asked while showing me pack where it was stored. I nodded in agreement.

"You're the one all beaten up." I teased. "I should be the one making you a sandwich." She shook her head.

"It's my fault we didn't get the chance to eat at the alley." She said pursing her lips. I was about to tell her that I could make them anyway but she spoke. "I want to." She said with a smile and a wink. My cheeks flushed with the treatment and I was left to nod.

"Well, I'm gonna go check on Demi." I said using my thumb to point towards the stairs.

"You don't need my permission." Dallas responded with a smirk.

"Right." I said softly before taking off to Demi's room.

As I walked up the steps my mind drifted to all the possible reasons Demi was so affected by the thought of Dallas and I together. I wanted to say it was pure jealousy, the kind of jealousy I feel whenever I have to witness her and Emily together, but it only seemed that Demi didn't appreciate that I was spending more time with Dallas is all. It's been pretty clear that she's not even close to wanting anything more than friendship. Sure, there was the occasional flirting, but we flirted just the same before I'd left years ago too. It was just us in our element, nothing more.

I sighed deeply when I reached the top of the stairs. I prepared myself to have a deep and meaningful conversation with Demi. I would tell her how I feel again and ask her if she ever saw a chance of us being more than just friends. It was the only thing I could think of doing besides checking on her because of her fight with Dallas. I was glad to see the door was slightly ajar and not locked. That feeling of gladness was soon exchanged with sadness. I wish I'd never glanced inside.

Demi was half naked in bed with Emily lying between in the same state of undress. Demi moaned as the girl travelled lower while taking Demi's panties along with her. I bit my lip to keep from speaking. It was one of those horrifying moments when you don't want to watch what's in front of you, but it's so horrible that you can't look away. I was literally frozen in place.

"Do you love me?" I gulped when I heard Emily's voice. "Do you love me?" She repeated when Demi didn't answer. I silently begged to a higher being for Demi not to say she loved her. Demi's eyes opened when she was asked for a third time. I blinked away the tears in my eyes when I saw her nod in response. By the time I was walking away I heard it. It was faint, but I heard it nonetheless, she loved her.

As soon as I made it to Dallas' room I plopped down on her bed. I felt like shattered glass. All hopes of anything escaped me and I lay there silent. I should have known that Demi would find somebody she loved. I should have seen it coming. I eventually walked towards the bathroom sink to wash my face and rid the tears from my face. There was no point in crying anymore. It really wasn't getting me anywhere.

I returned to the bedroom and was startled by Dallas. She held a plate in her hand and a glass in the other.

"The turkey was kind of funky. I hope pb&j is fine." She said with a smile as she placed the plate and glass on the dresser by her side. I looked at her with an unchanging expression and she responded with furrowed brows and confusion. "Are you okay? I can get you something else if you want." She said as she approached me.

I looked at Dallas momentarily; at the way her eyes still sparkled for me; how her lips curled up into that permanent smirk when I reached out and played with the tips of her hair. I didn't think twice about what I was about to do. Not when Dallas was looking at me so sweetly.

I connected our lips earning a groan from her. It took her a minute to get past her shock, but once she did, her hands held onto my waist securely. She moaned when my tongue grazed her lips and she gave me access without delay. Her tongue massaged my own skillfully causing chills to run down my spine.

Dallas' hands began to explore as they worked down to my ass. I whimpered and took the opportunity to wrap my legs around her waist. She grinned and began rubbing teasing circles as she squeezed my ass. My hands stoked her hair and my hips moved on their own accord against her. I moaned loudly when I felt my back pressed against the wall while she started kissing my neck with gusto.

"Oh god." I said breathlessly as she bit my neck lightly. I could feel the wetness and heat between my legs.

"I thought you were hungry." She whispered as her hand crept under my shirt and stroked my sides slowly. I pulled her closer as she continued to kiss my neck. I was too far gone to care about food or Demi or sadness.

"I am. I want you." I moaned as her right hand squeezed my breast; I could feel my nipple strain against my bra. She stopped for a moment to look at me. Her hazel eyes were a darker shade than before. She searched my eyes and shook her head sadly. I nodded furiously. "Dallas, I want you. Make love to me." I whispered. I kissed her bruised eye softly and continued. "Please." A yelp escaped my lips when I was suddenly carried towards the bed and settled down.

I sat on the edge of the bed with Dallas between my legs. She lowered herself enough to kiss me softly. She pulled away to take her shirt off slowly. I licked my lips with anticipation. My eyes were glued to her toned stomach as my fingers traced the outline of her abs gently. She inhaled sharply and placed her hand in my hair when I started placing open mouthed kisses to her stomach. _Selena._ She whispered my name wantonly and pulled me away enough to reclaim my lips in a searing kiss.

Her hands played with the hem of my shirt as she pulled away with a questioning look on her face. I nodded and raised my arms above my head as she removed the piece of clothing. "I want to feel you." I said softly. Dallas smirked and placed both of her knees on either side of me. She waited for nothing to connect our lips again. Her hips moved sensually against me as my hands found purchase on her ass.

Dallas lowered me so I was lying down as she straddled my hips. I moaned deeply when our upper bodies came into contact. Dallas responded with a moan of her own as her hips continued their sensual assault. My hands roamed her back and found the clasp to her bra. Dallas was busy working her tongue on my pulse point only to move away in order to remove her bra for me. I hesitantly reached for her breasts. "Don't be afraid." She whispered with a kiss to my neck.

She hissed the moment my hands squeezed her breasts; her taut nipples begged for attention. I pulled her body closer to me and worked my tongue against her nipple.

"That feels fucking amazing." She moaned while holding my head in place. Her left hand sought out my right hand and ran it against her stomach. "Feel _this_." She whispered as she lowered my hand into her jeans and straight to her pussy.

"So wet." I whispered breathlessly against her chest. She nodded and pulled my hand back out; I whimpered at the loss of contact.

She looked into my eyes and tucked a strand of hair behind me ear before placing a kiss to my forehead. I smiled and kissed her lips softly. There was no room for regret when Dallas was being so sweet and caring. I felt her hands go around my back and unclasp my bra. I arched my back to allow her access to take it off completely. She tossed it aside like she'd done with hers.

I instantly felt her lips engulf one of my nipples as her fingers pinched the other. She lay between my legs; I groaned when I tried to relieve some of the ache and throbbing by crossing my legs. It was the sweetest torture. My sensed were on edge with every touch, lick, _suck, _building up to so many new sensations.

She kissed a trail up to my mouth as she undid the zipper and button on my jeans. In one swift movement she pulled them off leaving me in just my panties. She took a moment to look at me between fast breaths as her fingers played with the waistband of my panties.

"Gorgeous." She whispered while leaning down to kiss her way between my thighs.

"Da-Dallas." I panted as she bit my inner thigh before kissing my cloth covered pussy. I felt her smirk as she continued kissing my thighs, always avoiding contact with the one place I needed her at the moment. My eyes clenched when I felt my panties being taken off slowly. Dallas resumed her kisses, trailing them all the way up to my mouth where I waited for her mouth anxiously. She bit my lips sensually and licked it to sooth the delicious burning sensation the bite had left.

"Have you ever?" She asked while rubbing my cheek gently. She didn't finish the question, but it was obvious what she meant. It was a question I wasn't expecting from the girl as I didn't think it would matter to her.

"I've touched myself." I whispered shyly. She bit her lip and nodded.

"That's so fucking _hot_,Selena."

"I want to feel you." I replied as I pulled her into a kiss. "_All_ of you." I reached down and undid her pants. With her help we removed the rest of her clothes. We moaned at the feeling of bare skin. My thigh was pressed against her wet, hot pussy. I grabbed onto her hair roughly and kissed her with purpose. "Now, make love to me." I said with a lick to my lips.

Dallas grinned and moved slowly towards my thighs again. She teased me with her tongue and little bites. I was about to nudge her to where I wanted her, but she was right on cue.

"Oh, God yes!" I hissed in pleasure. I felt her flatten her tongue against my clit teasingly. She used her fingers to part my folds and suck lightly at the little bundle of nerves. My body shuddered and my fingers raked through her hair to keep her in place. My eyes look down to find dark hazel eyes looking back at me. I felt a surge of wetness; the look in her eyes was positively _fucking_ glorious. And then I felt her tongue inside me and take back my previous statement, because the feeling of her dexterous tongue working me up so deliciously, was positively _fucking _glorious.

Soon enough Dallas crawled her way back up to my mouth, leaving me seeking the wonderful feeling as my hips canted upwards. She kissed me with the most passion I had ever felt her kiss me yet. My heart raced, my pussy throbbed and my lungs struggled for air as I panted.

"I need you." I whispered as my hands reached down to claim her ass. She moaned in response and bit her lip.

"What do you need?" She asked teasingly as she nibbled on my earlobe. I moaned as her fingers teased my clit with gentle strokes. My eyes no longer possessed the strength to stay open. She gathered the copious amount of wetness and slowly teased my entrance with a lone finger. She didn't wait for a response to her question as she gently slid her finger inside me.

"Wow." I moaned at the feeling of being filled by her for the first time. She waited for a moment before slowly moving her finger in an out of me. I tried controlling my breathing, but it was impossible when she'd slipped her finger out only to return full force with two. I dug my nails into her back and bucked forward in attempts to increase the contact with her. Her pace quickened gradually and I felt my walls start to clench around her nimble fingers.

"_Faster._" I whimpered as my hands reached for her nipples. She moaned against my ear pushing me closer to the edge. Her lips claimed my neck as hers.

"Say my name." She panted while using her hips to push deeper into me. I was dizzy with pleasure as I too panted and moaned. I dug my fingers in her hair and pulled her into a searing kiss; our tongues playfully teasing one another. She pulled away. "Say my _name_." She pleaded while using her thumb to rub my clit rhythmically.

"Dallas." She growled and stroked me in an entirely new way as she curled her fingers and hit a perfect spot inside me. My pussy clenched continuously as I neared my peak and she kept hitting that one _spot_ that was making my fucking toes curl in just the right way. "Fuck _yes_, Dallas."

"You're so fucking beautiful." She whispered and that was when I felt it. White lights flashed behind my eyes as my back bowed. I held tightly onto the bed sheets with one hand as the other held tightly to Dallas' back. My toes curled and my pussy clamped her fingers tightly. Her fingers never stopped pushing and stroking, pinching and rubbing, twisting and _fucking._ And I came with a low guttural moan as she held me close.

Dallas secured her arms around me as I caught my breath and returned from the far away place known as my orgasm. She kissed my neck several times sweetly and buried her face there with a sigh. I smiled sluggishly and pulled the girl into a slow kiss; A soft touch of our lips. I exhaled a goofy smile as she rested her forehead on mine.

"That really _was _amazing." I exhaled with mirth as I pulled her in for another soft and pain achingly sensual kiss.

* * *

_A/N: Last time around, there were about 75% of my reviewers that loved this chapter and 25% that hated it because of the Sallas. Sorry, but this is still just a re-edit of the original, so I only changed things like grammar and syntax mostly. _

_Fcwolfg: Shit is always going down in this story. Emily was just being Emily. I don't really care about her. Lovely cookies and hugs! Thank you :)_

_Allie: Thank you so much! Happy to know you like it._

_NickiMinajlover: Demi is always feisty, ain't no messing with her without suffering through some consequences lol. I'm pretty sure you didn't like this chapter because of the Sallas. Sorry if that's the case. Thank you for always reading and reviewing. :)_

_Nikki7993: A Lovato cat fight is an amazing thing. I kind of think Demi ended up with the upper hand, don't you? Lol. Feel all those feels! Let me know how you liked this chap. _

_JustinIsMyHova: Yep, they actually got into a catfight. Crazy, huh? Lol. I hope you liked this chapter too even though I think you like Demena more than Sallas. Thanks for reading. :)_

_Demenaforever13: I want my virtual Cookies and Milk! Lol. I love Dallas' cocky attitude too. I think it's part of what makes her so endearing. You could see a more softer side of her in this chapter though so I hope you like it just as much. Emily can go f*** herself. Sorry, I just dislike her character so much and I'm the one writing it. Thanks for reading and reviewing :)_

_Thanks to everyone who's following, favoriting and reading this story. Means a lot! _


	12. Chapter 11

I stretched lightly in bed as I woke to the sound of Dallas' alarm clock. I questioned myself whether Dallas needed the alarm or not considering she didn't have a job at the moment and chalked it up to Dallas' obsession with cooking and breakfast. I reached over towards where I assumed the alarm was, but I miscalculated the distance and face planted on the floor.

"Turn it off woman." Dallas groaned as she pulled her pillow over her head. I reached up from where I'd landed and turned off the annoying clock. As I stood I felt an ache between my legs. My body was sore in a good way and I glanced down at myself to find that I had various love bites all around my upper body. I looked over to Dallas and had failed to notice that the girl was looking at me the entire time with a smile plastered on her face. My cheeks heat up and I crossed my arms bashfully to cover my naked body up. Thankfully I had put some shorts on at some point last night. "Hey, don't cover up on my account." She husked.

She reached out for me and pulled me back into bed again so I was lying face to face with her. I could feel my blush spreading as I giggled. Dallas covered her face somewhat subtly to hide a blush of her own. I removed her hand from her face and held it.

"Dallas." I started teasingly. "Is that a blush I see?" I asked.

"I'm not blushing." She said with a scoff. I raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she sighed defeated. "Okay, maybe a little bit, but in my defense…" She scooted closer and placed her forehead on mine. "It's hard not to when you're so beautiful." She finished with a shy kiss to my lips. I smiled triumphantly at the idea of making Dallas blush.

"Cheese ball." I said impishly with a smile as my fingers traced the then prominent bruise on Dallas' right eye. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?" I questioned softly. She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I really do." She paused for a moment as I bit my lip shyly. "Not more than me but…" I smacked her arm playfully and we both laughed at her cocky attitude. Soon enough her hand was in my hair stroking my scalp lightly. I sighed followed by a smile as she scrunched her nose adorably. I closed my eyes and snuggled up to her chest as I enjoyed the feeling of her fingers in my hair.

"Hey, Dal." I whispered softly as goose bumps broke out on my skin.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Do you regret last night?" I wondered out loud. I felt more than heard the girl breathe deeply.

"I think I should be the one asking _you _that question." She replied "Do you?" I licked my lips as I thought about the question. Did I regret it in the sense that I didn't _enjoy_ it? No, I couldn't say that. Did I feel taken advantage of? I couldn't say that either. If anything, the only person being _used_ here was Dallas. The worst part about it all was that I was very much aware that I was using her. I took advantage of the fact that she looked at me like I was the universe and the stars; of the fact that she took such good care of me and made me her number one priority; I took advantage of the fact that she was growing feelings for me and _that _was the only thing I regret.

"No, I don't." I said gingerly. I felt Dallas grin against me and kiss my head lightly as I resumed snuggling up to her with my face buried in her neck. "You're like a big sexy teddy bear." I whispered as I kissed her neck softly. I felt her shiver and hold me tighter in her arms. The moment, however, was broken by a loud grumble from my stomach. I groaned with embarrassment. "I'm hungry." I said as she chuckled.

"Does that mean you're ready for seconds?" She asked with a smirk as she wiggled her eyebrows. I shook my head with a smile and gave her a small peck on the lips.

"Maybe later." I said as I moved to stand up. Dallas, however, had other plans as she pulled me back into bed and rolled on top of me. Her lips were on mine in a matter of seconds. I whimpered in shock, but my lips parted when I felt her tongue gently probe mine for access. I wasn't able to resist the feeling of her skin on mine or the way her nipples rubbed against my own. My nails raked down her back hungrily. I felt her grin and pull away from the kiss with my bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at me tauntingly. "Okay, definitely later." I said breathlessly causing her to smile and wink at me as she rolled back to her side on the bed.

I stood and picked up one of Dallas' shirts from the floor. I put it on and walked towards the bathroom where I washed my face and brushed my teeth. By the time I was out of the bathroom, Dallas was sound asleep. Last night I had seen an entirely different side of her. It was like a whole new Dallas, who was sweet and gentle, but sexy and sensual all the while. I walked over to her and brushed her hair with my fingers before leaning down to kiss her forehead softly. She sighed and smiled softly in return.

* * *

I groaned as I felt the wind being knocked out of me. I held onto my stomach while I attempted to regulate my breathing.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." Demi said apologetically as she stood with a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry about it. I ran into you." I responded as I straightened up. Once I was fully standing I noticed Demi eyeing the shirt that I had on. I scratched my head as I thought of what to say. She eventually looked away but stood in place. We were standing at the top of the stairs where we'd collided. I was at a loss for words. I winced when I saw Demi's cut lip from her rumble with Dallas. "Are you okay?" I asked while pointing towards her bottom lip.

"That's a question that would merit a big answer, don't you think?" She responded as she crossed her arms. I nodded in understanding as she averted her eyes. I could tell by the way she was bouncing on her heels that she was waiting for something. I sighed and licked my lips when an idea came to mind. _Maybe she wants to talk._

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"I don't know. I was about to make breakfast." I smirked and raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes avoided looking at me again. Demi and I both knew she wasn't particular good at making breakfast unless she was eating cereal.

"Just a minute." I said softly. "Please."

She pursed her lips and shrugged with a nod of her head. "I guess we could talk in my room." She said. I nodded in response and followed her there. I stayed by the door until I was invited into the room. I wondered where Emily was; I assumed she'd have been there after what I'd witnessed. "So what do you want to talk about?" She asked while sitting on the chair by her desk. I pursed my lips when I saw that she wasn't going to invite me in.

"Can I come in?" I asked nervously.

"Why not just walk in? Doesn't seem very hard for you to do." She said firmly. I nodded when I caught the gist of what she was saying. We hadn't really started our conversation yet and already I understood that she felt ambushed in a sense by me. I gave no warning as to when or if I'd show up at her house all of a sudden. That means I didn't give Demi the chance to think things through and prepare herself to see me again. It seemed that coming back to her life unannounced wasn't the best decision.

"It's a lot harder than you think." I responded softly as she looked at me. "Can I come in?"

"Why do you keep asking that?" She asked confused. I shrugged as I stood firmly in place.

"Because I think that I may have handled this entire situation wrongly. I shouldn't come in unless you _let me in_." She averted her eyes with a sigh. I was letting her know that she held all the cards; it was necessary if I ever wanted to gain her trust again. I saw the struggle on her face, letting me in the room had become a metaphor for her decision whether to let down her walls or not. I waited patiently for an answer until she nodded slowly.

"You can come in." She said softly. I smiled and walked to the bed where I took a seat on the edge. We stared at one another briefly until her eyebrows furrowed. "You look… different." She whispered. I averted my eyes and nodded slowly before I cleared my throat and pat my knees nervously. She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Okay then. I want to explain some stuff." I said while waiting for her eyes to land on me again. She made a sign indicating me to continue. "First of all I'm sorry for bringing all this drama into your life." She nodded and I bit my lip. "That night you found me with Dallas, I was upset and she was comforting me. One thing led to the other and we kissed…" Her eyes closed momentarily. "That night I told you why I left and I felt like it was dismissed. Which I understand, you know? You don't feel that way about me." I said dejectedly. "You're with Emily and I respect that. Our friendship means the world to me and I don't want to lose you because I'm in love with you."

"You're in love with me?" She asked quietly. I walked towards her when I noticed her eyes divert from either side of the room as she sat silently. I worried that she didn't want me around anymore.

"I just want us to be okay." To my surprise I was wrapped up in a bone crushing hug. I smiled away my shock and wrapped my arms around her firmly as she buried her face in my neck.

"I'm sorry." She said in a broken whisper. I shook my head and started rubbing circles on her back.

"Don't be." I said as I felt tears fall on my shoulder. I pulled back and cupped her face to clean the tears from her cheeks. "Shit happens." I said with a smile. She chuckled and nodded as we returned to our hug. I sighed deeply and held back tears of my own. I was _2-0_ when it came to telling Demi how I felt about her.

"Does Dallas know?" She asked.

"Yeah, she does." I replied. I smiled when I felt what I assumed was a grin from the girl. "Can you promise me something?" I asked. Demi nodded and pulled back from our hug to look at me. "Promise me you won't get into anymore fights with your sister."

Demi's smile faded and her eyes twitched slightly. She wasn't very happy. "I can't promise you that." She growled.

"Please. I just don't want to see you get hurt." I said softly. Her eyes softened as I ran my finger over her bottom lip gently. She groaned after a while and nodded displeased.

"Okay, I promise."

* * *

To my surprise Demi ditched Emily and told her that she would be busy. She'd then suggested that she and I spend some time out together; just the two of us. I was positively beaming the moment she said so and nodded vigorously. After the past couple of days that we had, it seemed like a fresh breath of air to go out and forget about it all. We decided to go to a nearby Panera. We'd ordered and soon enough it was as if we were back to our old selves. We fell into comfortable silence every once and a while, but we'd soon go back to talking and bantering.

"I can't believe she did that." Demi said as she laughed loudly. I smiled and laughed along.

"Yeah, that's Jennifer for ya'" I responded. "She has this huge crush on David too."

"Well, let's hope she doesn't pull a stunt like that again." She said with a grin. I nodded in agreement and took a bite of my sandwich. "So, have you spoken to your mom? It's almost Christmas."

"Yeah, I have. I forgot to mention she told me to say hi to you and Dallas." Demi's face dropped at the mention of her sister as she pursed her lips. "Why does it upset you so much that I spend time with your sister?" I asked curiously hoping this time her answer would be followed by a marriage proposal.

"It doesn't upset me." She said nonchalantly. I pointed my fork at her playfully and gave her a look that said _I know you're lying._ "Okay, it does."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just don't like sharing you with anybody." She said lowly. I swooned a little on the inside and sighed as I held her hand. _3-0._

"Hey, look at me." I said. "You are and will always be my best friend. Nobody can ever change that." I reassured as I squeezed her hand.

"I like your hair." She blurted out.

"Wow that was random." I said as we both laughed and her hold on my hand tightened.

"Sorry. I've been trying to figure out what it is about you that's just so different today. Your hair's shining and you almost look like you're glowing." I gulped nervously and masked it with a smile. There was no way she could tell that I had slept with Dallas. _Right_? It wasn't as if I would lie about it if she asked me, but as long as she didn't ask I wasn't about to spring something like that on her at that moment. It would have been the wrong time and place for that.

"Maybe you're just looking at me with different eyes." I teased while leaning on the table.

"Maybe I am." She quipped as she too leaned on the table and looked directly into my eyes. I could already tell where this was headed.

"You know you never win at this game." I said in reference to a staring contest.

"Only because I let you win." She whispered smugly. I scoffed and leaned in closer to intimidate her, but she copied my actions defiantly. My heart raced as I calculated just how close her mouth was to my own. I did my best to maintain eye contact as saw her lick her lips from the corner of my eye. She smiled and raised an eyebrow curiously. Then I caught her take a glimpse of my lips.

"Ha! You lost." I said loudly as I raised my hands in victory. She shook her head with a giggle.

"Congratulations." She said happily.

_Hey boy, I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me._

_Hey boy, I really wanna be with you. _

I cringed when I heard the hideous ringtone that I'd come to associate with Emily calling. Demi leaned back in her seat as she rummaged through her purse. She raised her finger in a way that told me to give her a second as she stood to speak with Emily. I groaned dejectedly and pulled my phone out of my pocket when I felt a vibration from it. It was none other than Dallas. I smiled when I saw her name flash on my screen and opened up the text message.

_Ayo Gomez, wanna smooch? – Dal_

I smiled when I remembered a scene in wizards where Dean said those exact words to Alex.

_Lol, what's up? – Sel._

_I'm bored… you should come entertain me. – Dal._

_No. You just want to get into my pants. – Sel._

_Hey! Since when can you read my mind? – Dal._

I shook my head and giggle; typical Dallas behavior.

_Ever since you became a complete mushball. – Sel._

I glanced around trying to locate Demi and I could see that she was still on the phone.

_Entirely your fault. Are you home? – Dal._

_No, I'm grabbing something to bite at Panera. – Sel._

_Need a ride? I can pick you up so you don't have to pay for a cab. – Dal. _

I sighed guiltily. I decided I should just tell her that I was with Demi.

_That's fine. I'm actually with Demi. – Sel._

Dallas never responded after that. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know why. I waited several more minutes as I played with the straw in my cup of iced tea. I could already see a frown on Demi's face by the time she started walking back to the table. I smiled sadly in anticipation.

"I'm so sorry, but Emily needs me to…" I didn't let her finish her statement.

"Go." I said with a smile as I tried hiding my disappointment.

"Do you need a ride home? Cause I can take you home before I…"

"It's fine; I'll just grab a cab." I reassured with the same fake smile upon my lips. She nodded and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before leaving. I sat unmoving as I sorted the mess of thoughts in my head. There was Demi, my best friend who I love deeply, I dare say the girl of my dreams and yet she's taken. And then there's Dallas, sweet, funny, sexy, adorable Dallas who I honestly can't seem to get enough of and I developed a huge crush on. I groaned as I placed my head between my arms on the table before I made up my mind about where I wanted to be at the moment.

* * *

I opened the door to the house with the spare key that Demi had given me. I looked around as I closed the door behind me and saw no one. I went upstairs and checked all the room and she was nowhere to be found; and by 'she' I mean Dallas. I continued looking around until I searched the living room which probably should have been my first place to look. I frowned when I saw the fireplace lit but no Dallas in sight. It wasn't until I walked around the couch that I saw her sleeping with a cushion hugged to her chest. I smiled and sat cross legged in front of her as I watched her sleep. She stirred when I rubbed her cheek gently.

"What are you doing here?" She asked groggily as she wiped the corner of her mouth. I laughed softly and shrugged.

"I could ask you the same question." I said as I pointed at the couch.

"I'm taking a nap." She rasped with a raised eyebrow as she waited my answer.

"I came to entertain you." I said smiling. She fought back a smile of her own, but eventually ended up laughing lightly. She held my hand as she tossed the cushion she was holding and I stood from my position to lie beside her. She draped her arm around my waist as my back pressed against her front.

"So much better than that stupid cushion." She said causing me to giggle. I held onto her hand and raised it to my lips to place a kiss on her fingers. I closed my eyes and suddenly felt very sleepy.

* * *

_A/N: Shout out to JustinIsMyHova because she's like amazeballs and sh*$. I'll be uploading another chapter later on tonight. Hope you guys liked this one. Thanks to everyone who reads this. Much love to ya. _

_NickiMinajlover: I don't necessarily think Demi's being stupid. I think she's just as scared to confess her feelings as Selena was when she walked away years ago. She doesn't just want to give in to her and wind up hurt again. Thanks for reading! :)_

_Likealovesong16: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. :)_

_Nikki7993: Yes, Selena is developing more than friendly feelings for Dallas. I wouldn't call it love as much as I would a crush so far. Sadly though she is kind of using her regardless. Emily will be leaving soon but if Emily leaves that can only mean one thing for one of our girls and it's not too good. Thanks for the review. :)_

_JustinIsMyHova: Demi doesn't find out about the sex for now. Or maybe ever, I still haven't decided whether she should or not in this version. Your theories are good, maybe you're right, maybe you're not, who knows? Thanks much for the review. Next update will be later on tonight as I promised. :)_

_Demenaforever13: I would like chocolate cookies please, lol. I'm so glad that you liked this chapter. I was worried it would garner some bad responses. Thanks for reviewing. :)_

_Shayla: Thank you! Lovely to know you liked it. :)_

_Guest: I'm glad you like the drama AND I actually already wrote a Sallas story about a year ago and I'm working on it again just so I can reupload it just like this one. Keep an eye out for that one if you'd like. Thanks for the review. :)_

_Fcwolfg: Good to know this helped to make your day better :). I like your ideas; I'm considering using one of them. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. _

_Allie: That's what this journey is about and I'm glad you're excited about it. Thanks for always reviewing. :)_

_PLL-M: Sallas! Thank you! :D_

_Dream2be428: This isn't quite over yet. There are still several things that need happen before I end it lol. Thank you so much for the support. Hope you continue to read and enjoy. :)_


	13. Chapter 12

A week had gone by incredibly fast. Demi and Dallas still weren't on talking terms, but things had really died down between them. It was, however, a weird situation because it seemed that they had some competition going on. Don't get me wrong, having two beautiful girls compete for you was amazing, except for the fact that eventually someone was bound to get hurt. My days were spent with Demi because Emily was rarely around, while my nights were spent with Dallas because I still hadn't been invited to sleep in Demi's room again. Both girls would do sweet things for me and go out of their way to show me affection; it was overwhelming and confusing to say the least.

* * *

I sat by Demi's desktop in her bedroom as I read some emails from Jennifer and my mom. They were mostly pictures of my dogs and Jennifer's Christmas tree. I was startled by a pair of warm soft hands covering my eyes. I felt the person behind me lean down and shivered when I felt their breath on my ear.

"Guess who." I smiled as I recognized the husky voice with ease.

"I have no idea who it is." I teased. I felt a smile against my cheek and heard a laugh escape her lips. Her hands were removed from my face and were replaced by my chest when her arms wrapped around my neck. Her chin fell into place on my shoulder as I held her hands.

"What are you up to?" She asked curiously.

"Just going through my email. Do you need the computer?" I asked as I attempted to stand up from my seat. She shook her head and held me in place.

"No. I just wanted to hold you." She said softly.

"Is everything okay with Emily?" I asked. I thought Demi might have had a fight with the girl and therefore was in need of a hug.

"You're tampering with the moment." She shushed me with a whisper.

"We're having a moment?" I teased. "I hadn't noticed." I whispered. I closed my eyes when I felt the vibrations from her laugh against my neck. It was the best sound and feeling in the world. "Are you okay?" I asked seeking an answer to my question about Emily.

"Yeah, never better." She replied while detaching herself from my neck. She spun my chair around and pulled me to my feet without warning. "Let's dance."

"Demi, there's no music on." I said confused. She giggled and shrugged off my confusion.

"Does it matter?" She asked as she took my hands and placed them on her waist. "I'll sing." Her arms went around my neck for the second time and she pressed her body against mine completely. Leaving no space between us, she began singing in my ear. I sighed happily as we started dancing slowly. Eventually Demi stopped singing, but it didn't deter us from one another. There was no need for music as long as we held onto each other the way we did. She made it clear when she whispered sweet words to my ear.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be."

-X-

I walked into Dallas' room and found the girl sitting on her bed as she stared off into space. I called her name and received no response, so I sat down in front of her. I waved my right hand in front of her face to catch her attention and it eventually worked. She blinked her eyes several times as she focused on me. She'd told me earlier that day that she wanted to talk to me about something important. I was anxious to know what it could be.

"So what'd you wanna talk about?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know. About whatever." She said with a nonchalant shrug. I could tell by her face that she was nervous, but attempting to hide it by masking it with disinterest. I felt her hands on my ankles and licked my lips with a grin. She traced her hands up my legs until she placed them on either side of her body. She scooted closer to me and her hands landed on my waist; instinctively I wrapped my hands around her neck.

"Did you just make an excuse so you could feel me up?" I asked with a smile.

"No." She said softly as she leaned forward and kissed my cheek gently. "I just like being with you like this." I blushed as I felt her fingers start to draw circles on the exposed skin on my back. I nodded and she rested her forehead on mine; I closed my eyes as our noses bumped.

"I never knew you were so…" I stopped speaking to look for the right word to describe her behavior.

"Romantic?" She added in a whisper.

"Yeah. Romantic." I agreed while stroking the spot where her hair started on her neck.

"Nobody knows that. It's our little secret Dweeb." She said as I giggled with a nod.

"I love it when you call me 'dweeb'." I said teasingly.

"Yeah?" She asked just as playfully. "You wanna know what I love?" In that moment my heart began to race. _She's not going to say what I think she is, is she?_ I asked myself the question twice as I waited impatiently for Dallas to reply. I feared that she would tell me she was in love with me.

I opened my eyes and noticed that she'd been looking at me. A smile adorned her face once we made eye contact. "I love your eyes." And I breathed normally again.

"My eyes?" I questioned with a small smile.

"I just…" She hesitated slightly. "There's something about your eyes. I've never seen anyone with eyes as beautiful as yours. And the way you look at me…" I blushed under her gaze and listened intently. "It's so intense. You make me so nervous." She finished with a timid laugh.

There was a lull in the conversation until I spoke. "Why are you so good to me?" I asked with guilt.

"That's easier to answer than you'd think." She whispered with a small smile that I returned. She cupped my face tenderly as she looked into my eyes and spoke. "You deserve to be treated with all the love and respect in the world. You deserve the best." Her eyes sparkled when she finished. I sighed when I felt her lips pressed against mine. It was as if she was pouring her everything into that one small kiss. "Will you go out on a date with me?" She whispered as we pulled apart and her hands fell down to her legs where I held them. I was surprised to have heard the question; she'd spoken so lowly.

Her eyes were shut tight and there was so much worry and hope in her expression. She bit her bottom lip as she waited for my answer. It was Dallas in her most vulnerable state. Her hands began sweating and her legs bounced slightly with anxiousness. I couldn't even fathom how hard it must have been to ask me out when she knew how I felt for Demi. I took in a deep breath and cupped her face in my hands. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion until I leaned forward and kissed her. It was another small kiss; gliding lips and tongues barely stroking. "I would love to." I answered with a smile. I swear I'd never seen her smile so big.

-X-

The following day wasn't any different than most days had been. Demi would flirt with me and leave me in a permanent state of confusion while Dallas amped up the sweetness. Dallas wasn't around at all that day. Our date was in two days because she'd said she wanted it to be perfect like herself. She wanted time to plan things; it was getting late and she'd yet to return.

Demi was in the living room alone. Emily had been with her for no more than around an hour before she left. I walked Demi's way and saw that she was writing in her lyrics notebook. I smiled when I noticed she was wearing her reading glasses.

"Didn't think you still used those." I teased as I sat on the opposite side of the couch with my back to the armrest. She grinned and playfully fixed the glasses' position.

"I do when I don't think anybody is around." She said with a raised eyebrow. I could tell she was curious as to why I was downstairs instead of Dallas' room.

"I can't sleep, sorry for barging in on ya'" I said as I stuck my tongue out at her. She nodded and went back to writing. I narrowed my eyes at her and reached for the notebook. "Ow!" I said while rubbing my sore hand.

"You can't read it." She said with a laugh as continued rubbing my hand with a grumble.

"Why not?" I asked curiously.

"I'm not ready for you to read it yet." She said smiling. I narrowed my eyes at her again and waited a minute until I thought she wasn't paying attention to me. I reached for the notebook while lunging forward.

"God damn it." I groaned as I rubbed my head that fell on her lap.

"That's what you get for being a nuisance." She said between laughs. I rolled my eyes and dismissed the dirty thoughts that fill my head because I was literally between Demi's legs.

"Is it about me?" I asked curiously. She bit her lip and nodded as she looked at me in amusement when I struggled to sit back up. I eventually gave up and rested my head on her lap comfortably. "Well then I should get to see it now." I huffed.

"No." She stated simply.

"Read me a couple lyrics then." I encouraged.

"No." I groaned and glared at her playfully.

"Does it have a title yet? Can you at least tell me that?" I asked hopefully. She bounced her head from side to side in thought before she nodded.

"Okay." She grinned and opened her mouth several times mockingly, but never actually said anything.

"Demi." I whined.

"Give Your Heart A Break." She said softly.

"I have a feeling I'll love it." I said as I closed my eyes thanks to her fingers in my hair. I enjoyed the soothing gesture and held back a whimper when her fingers ghosted across my neck.

"So, how are you and Dallas?" She asked. I opened my eyes; her question surprised me.

"What do you mean?" I asked for clarity.

"Aren't you two like dating now or something like that?" I was about to say no, but I stopped myself because our first date was in a couple of days. I debated whether to tell Demi or not and I decided to be honest about it.

"Technically we're not. We're going on our first date soon." I said. I didn't give away the details about when it was going to take place as I didn't think Demi would be interested in knowing that.

"Oh." She said with a nod. "Well I'm happy for you." She said softly with a frown playing across her lips.

"Are you really?" I asked sadly. She nodded with the same frown on her face as she put her notebook on the floor next to us along with her glasses.

"Really. As long as you're happy?" It was more a question than it was a statement. I nodded and she smiled weakly in turn. I closed my eyes and lay there as I felt her thumb stoke my cheek softly. "Wanna sleep with me tonight?" She asked shyly. I grinned and nodded.

"Sure, why not?" I replied nonchalantly to appear less excited than I was. I bounced out off the couch and placed my hand out for her to take. She smiled that big beautiful smile that never failed to make me melt and held my hand tightly.

-X-

The next morning I woke to the feeling of Demi's holding onto me for dear life. I smiled as I wiggled my way out of her grasp. I was curious as to where Dallas was since she wasn't around the previous day. I was worried something might have happened to her; in reality I missed her somewhat. I walked over to her room and saw her sleeping with her pillow over her head. I grinned and jumped on bed with her as I straddled her waist. I took the pillow off of her head and heard her grumbling. I couldn't help but lean down and place a chaste kiss to the back of her neck. I looked down at her before bouncing up and down on top of her.

"What?" She gasped loudly as she popped up. I fell next to her in bed laughing. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Twerp?" She asked while blinking. I nodded as she fixed her hair so it'd fall over her face slightly. I bit my lip as I fought the urge to kiss her. There was something about her fading bruise and her disheveled hair that made me want to do dirty things to the girl. _I'm literally the worst person ever. _I thought as I shook my head. My head was a mess.

"Where were you yesterday?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"You know I'm not telling you. It has to do with our date and it's a surprise." She said sleepily with a grin. I felt a pillow under my hand and the need to do what I was about to do. I pulled it from its position and smacked Dallas with it. She looked at me with shock before smirking with a glint in her eyes.

"Hey, don't smirk at me, it's creepy." I said playfully as I stood with the pillow. She chuckled and grabbed me by the waist as she threw me onto the bed. She then grabbed a pillow and covered my face with it. I giggled when one of her hands traced my ribs teasingly. I rolled us over and smacked her with the pillow in my hand, but she tossed me beside her. I landed with a smile as she panted and tried to catch her breath. I propped myself up on my elbow and bit my lip when I saw what she was wearing; she was clad in a bra and shorts. I averted my eyes when my fingers itched to touch her smooth torso.

"I'm still sleepy you know? It's six _am_." She said with emphasis on the 'am'.

"Sorry." I said softly with a smile.

"I know what's going on." She said while taking her blanket and covering herself with it.

"You do?" I asked. I myself was unsure of what was 'going on'.

"Of course. You missed your big sexy teddy bear." She teased as she scrunched her nose with a yawn. I smiled and nodded in response.

"Get back to sleep. I'll talk to you later." I said as her eyes began to droop. I held her hand until I felt her hold on it loosen. I let go when I assumed she was sleeping. I walked to the door and turned around to see her sound asleep with a small smile on her lips. It was infectious.

-X-

The water fell on my body in a soothing manner. I had been in the shower for a while, trying to wash away all of the stress, guilt and confusion. I wasn't physically stressed; it was all emotional stress. It was the day Dallas and I had planned to go on our date. I was excited about the prospect of it all, but not nearly as excited as she was. She was beaming all morning as she teased me about where we'd be going and how she hoped I would love it. _I don't want to hurt her_. I thought to myself. I knew, however, that no matter how much I tried not to, I would eventually end up doing it.

I groaned with my forehead placed against the shower wall. My palm slapped against it as I bit my lip with remorse. I had been so selfish. Dallas was by my side when things were bad with Demi, showing so much care and support for me; it seemed so wrong to just shut her out after everything was okay between Demi and me.

As I stood under the cold water I felt my face get warm. I had started crying, at first there were just a few tears, but they turned into quiet sobs. I had been holding back my tears for a while but, I couldn't anymore. My mind raced as I tried to quiet my sobs. All the times I wanted to cry while seeing Demi with Emily, or every time I confessed my feelings for her and was turned down, and knowing that I'd been using Dallas to ease it all, the simple fact that things seemed to be fine when in reality they weren't, was all breaking me apart. There were so many mixed emotions I had to deal with. So many different outcomes to every scenario and I knew that ultimately _her _heart would be the broken one. No matter what I was left unscathed and it was the worst feeling in the world, to know I was the reason for so much pain.

-X-

I walked down the stairs after my shower and the front door opened to reveal a crying Demi completely drenched from head to toe. I jumped down the last few steps and rushed over to where she was. I waited nothing to wrap my arms around her. Her small hands held onto my shirt tightly as her head rested on my chest. I stroked her damp hair lightly as I said comforting words in hopes of helping her calm down.

"What happened, Dems?" I asked worried. She shook her head as she pulled away from me. "Please tell me." I said softly as I held both her hands.

"I… We… Emily." She said between sniffles. I tried making sense of what she said but to no avail. At the mention of _Emily_ I felt my blood boil at the prospect of her causing Demi any discomfort.

"Emily? What did she do? Tell me." I said as I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I b-broke up with her." She said with a sob. I frowned and pulled her into my arms again. I hated seeing her so hurt.

"Sweetie, it's okay." I soothed.

"No it's not." She said as she held onto my shirt again.

"I'm confused. Why did you guys break up?" I asked with furrowed brows. "Did you not want to break up?"

"I did want to." I nodded and breathed in deeply as I tried waiting patiently for a better answer. I needed to know whether or not Emily had signed her death sentence.

"Why are you crying, Dems?" I asked as I kissed her head once.

"Because even though I broke up with her, it's too late." She said softly; so soft that I barely heard the last part.

"Too late?" I asked closing my eyes as I held her tight.

"Even though I broke up with her… You're with Dallas." She said as she pulled away from me and headed towards the steps.

"Don't walk away like I did." I pleaded softly. She turned around to face me with tears in her eyes. I approached her held her hands. "What did you mean, Demi?" I asked. She lowered her head and shook it while sniffling. After a moment of silence she looked up and cupped my right cheek. She frowned and let go promptly.

"I love you." She whispered. My expression was unmoving as I waited for her to finish. My heart beat a little bit to fast to keep up with and my lungs were just about to collapse. "I'm in love with you. I've been nothing but selfish and childish sine you came back. The day you told me you loved me, it was everything I wanted to hear but, I wasn't ready to deal with it. I was so scared that I'd let you back into my life and you'd just disappear on me again. That's why I kept quiet about loving you back. I was literally terrified of losing you again and I knew that it would hurt so much more if we were ever together and you left me like that." I gulped and nodded along to show her that I was hearing it all loud and clear. "I was with Emily because I didn't know how to end it and I told you to leave because I didn't know how to handle things after seeing you with Dallas. It was like you'd just kicked me in the chest. I knew I had no right to be jealous and I was being irrational, but I wanted you to be mine. I _want_ you to be mine and that just made things worse because I was too much of a coward to admit I was jealous an.." I had heard enough.

My hands cupped Demi's face lightly and pulled her close enough to crash our lips together. She whimpered as she held onto my shirt firmly. We pushed and pulled one another as we finally expressed all of those bottled up emotions. It was clumsy and shy; it was perfect, just they way I had always envisioned it to be, the way I knew it would be; like I was finally where I was supposed to be.

-X-

Dallas' POV

Have you ever tried sleeping with a broken heart? I did once; I wasn't even able to close my eyes without seeing them repeatedly. I imagined that Demi must have felt that kind of pain when she'd seen me kiss her. I grit my teeth and scolded myself internally. I really was a horrible sister.

I should have known that things would turn out as they did. She came back just to be with _her._ She would come to me when she was crying over _her._ I was sure she would kiss me wishing it were _her._ It all came down to _her_, just as simple as that. I was so stupid for thinking she would ever really want to be with me. I bit my lip as I held back my tears. _Tears never get you anywhere._ I told myself repeatedly. I stared down at the piece of paper in front of me sadly and started to write…

_Life is a bitch. It gives you so much then it takes it all back in seconds._

_I never imagined something like this would happen to me._

_Who would have guessed I'd feel this way for you._

_This isn't meant to make you feel bad about choosing her_

_Because I know that choice was made a long time ago._

_Mom wanted me to stay with Demi till things were good_

_And I know she is in great hands._

_I just wanted to let you know that even though_

_Things didn't turn out the way I wanted them to_

_They turned out better... you have what you've always wanted_

_And I'm glad to have been part of what finally took you there._

_With love, _

_Dallas._


End file.
